The Lakers went on to win the game Afterward, Bryant was clearly emotional, propped up on crutches and referencing the locker room visit from wife Vanessa and daughters Natalia and Gianna:. I was really tired, man. Just tired in the locker room, upset and dejected and thinking about this… mountain, man, to overcome.
I mean this is a long process. A successful procedure is performed by Dr. The following day, the surgeon speaks with Sam Farmer of the L. He adds that the procedure can be likened to stitching together two ends of a mop. Early on, the tendon is malleable and stretchable, so you want to get them using the muscle and getting on their leg and weight bearing for all the other reasons, even the remote reasons like the hip and the back and all the muscles in the lower leg.
All that without stretching the tendon. Bryant takes to social media before and after the operation, displaying an ironic sense of humor—jeri curl cap and all. It had once been a season filled with promise.
Dwight Howard and Steve Nash each arrived with championship expectations. Howard would become a free agent at season's end, a factor that weighed heavily on management. The Lakers meet the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. By now, Andrew Goudelock has been called up from the Rio Grande Vipers to take Bryant's place—the roster is that decimated.
A four-game sweep ends in somewhat fitting fashion—Howard is ejected early in the third quarter. In a classic case of ships passing in the night, Bryant arrives at the bench on crutches as Howard steams off to the locker room. Bryant goes to court to stop his mother from selling his memorabilia; Lakers rumors mostly revolve around whether Howard will stay or go; and Phil Jackson seems to favor MJ over Bryant while promoting his latest book.
I hope so. That's the challenge. With the tendon, there's really only but so much you can do. There's a certain amount of time that they deem necessary for the tendon to heal where you don't overstretch it and now you never get that spring back.
So, you just have to be patient, let the tendon heal, and then when that moment comes when they say, 'OK, we can take off the regulator so to speak and now it's on you to train as hard as you can to get back to where you want to be,' that's going to be a good day. I think it would be a disservice to the game if he wasn't involved in the game at some level, Bryant said.
I think he still has a lot to offer the game and I think he wants to offer it. So, my guess is that he'll be involved at some level. At least, I hope so. Odds are and the belief is it will be very soon in November, which is remarkable. We watch them come and go. We revel in their high times and we mourn the times they have to leave the game, and I certainly will when he does.
More changes for the Lakers as Dwight Howard signs with Houston. I'm happy for him. It's important for free agents to make decisions that they feel is best for them.
It's crazy, but I've been very, very fortunate to be able to have [Lakers head physical therapist] Judy [Seto] travel with me absolutely everywhere, be with me all the time, and I was fortunate to be able to go in and have the procedure done the next day [after rupturing the tendon].
I think all that's helped. In addition to diligent rehab, he also takes time to celebrate his 35th birthday on Aug.
This is a guy who likes to push the envelope, a guy who likes to take risks. Maybe Bryant is feeling like a little extra celebration is in order when he posts this vine on Twitter, less than a week later. Mike Bresnahan for the L. On Dec. Nike produced nearly 20 sneakers with Bryant over the course of the year partnership.
However, the language in the contract allows Nike to continue to sell Kobe Bryant shoes that were in the works prior to the deal's termination on April 13, according to a person familiar with the Nike deal. Product launches are being planned over the next couple of months, in addition to a May release pegged to Bryant's induction into the Hall of Fame. He pushed us and made everyone around him better. Though our contractual relationship has ended, he remains a deeply loved member of the Nike family," the brand said in a statement on Monday.
Bryant first signed with the Swoosh in , after starting his career as an Adidas endorser. In April , he struck a five-year deal that took him through last Tuesday. On Monday, Vanessa Bryant posted on her Instagram Stories, assuring fans that despite leaving Nike, her hope is to allow Kobe's fans get to wear his products for years to come, US Magazine reported. That says everything. According to a person familiar with the situation, Vanessa Bryant was at odds with Nike over the company limiting the availability of Bryant's products after his death.
After his contract expired, he entered into a new deal with Nike in after a season of sneaker free agency that saw him wear a wide array of brands and styles.
He remained a Nike athlete for the remainder of his professional career and after, releasing genre-defining shoes and memorable ad campaigns during his tenure with the Swoosh. All Rights Reserved. Related Stories.
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