Trans. Apr 13 12:23 ET (Apr 13 12:23 ET ) With Kobe Bryant attempting to carry the Los Angeles Lakers on his back and into the NBA playoffs, the Black Mamba suffered what appears to be an complete tear of the Achilles tendon Friday night vs. the Golden State Warriors.
It was the third lower-body injury Bryant had suffered in the game and what would easily be the most devastating setback of his illustrious career.
NBA players, fellow athletes, fans, and of course Kobe, took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on Bryant's injury:
Random tears of devastation and doubt mixed with inner determination and will #countonfamily #countonprayer THANKU #vicodintweets comin ha!
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 13, 2013
Damn man i feel bad for @ kobebryant . If there's anybody and i mean anybody who can come back from that injury it would be him! Best wishes!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 13, 2013
@ kobebryant ,this is a small bump in the road. Thanks for passing us your spirit. I bet you recover in no time!Love from the Artest family
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace) April 13, 2013
Just heard Kobe may have torn his achills. Hate to see one of the greatest hurt himself like that
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) April 13, 2013
Prayers up for my bro @ kobebryant get well soon fam
— Andre Iguodala (@andre) April 13, 2013
Tough moment because of @ kobebryant injury. I wish him a great recovery. I have no doubt he'll come back stronger than ever. #prayforvino
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) April 13, 2013
Tough way to finish that game. Ill take Carl with the elbow jump shot any day of the week! Hate to see Kobe walk off like that hope he's ok — Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) April 13, 2013
Batum was out of the lineup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night because of an injured right shoulder.
The Scoop:Batum has a labral tear in his shoulder, causing him decreased strength and sensation. He apparently sustained the injury on Monday in Portland's 112-102 loss to Utah. Batum is averaging 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season for the Trail Blazers, who are effectively out of the playoffs.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum was out of the lineup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night because of an injured right shoulder.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Trail Blazers were only in the first quarter against the woeful Bobcats when Nicolas Batum took off and lobbed the ball off the backboard into the hands of charging rookie Meyers Leonard for a dunk.
COMMENTARY | Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum are nursing injuries. J.J. Hickson is not putting up the same numbers he was early on. The bench is still non-existent. The losing streak has reached five games.
A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C : Grantland . Zach Lowe sings the praises of Tom Thibodeau's defensive coaching, the Chicago Bulls' defensive execution and the all-too-rare confluence of genius design, relentless effort and all-consuming buy-in. (Also drawing hosannas : Second-year swingman Jimmy Butler, who's gotten an opportunity to see a ton of floor time over the past 10 games and is making it count with his versatile defense, athleticism and smart cutting.)
PF : Boston Magazine . Another, different kind of NBA-related breakdown — this time of Kevin Garnett's scarf game. Dude looooooooves scarves, so BoMag's Boston Daily blog enlisted a Hub-area clothier to evaluate the Boston Celtics center's multiple looks.
SG : The Oregonian . There were plenty of good vibes in the Pacific Northwest after the Portland Trail Blazers hung on for a 100-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night, but the positive feelings did not extend to star swingman Nicolas Batum's injured right wrist: "It doesn’t always really bother me, but today it was really painful [...] I was really scared about every contact.” Portland just started a six-game road trip and sits a half-game back of the eighth seed in the Western Conference; they're pushing for the postseason. But they also just invested $46.1 million in the 24-year-old wing — should they think about giving his injured wrist a rest?
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- LaMarcus Aldridge's buzzer-beating shot had barely left his hands when teammate Nicolas Batum raised his arms in victory.
The Scoop: None.
Jan 29 10:56 ET
News (various sources)
Men report attack after snapping photo of Lillard (The Associated Press) (2 Days Ago | courtesy: The Associated Press) SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Two brothers allege that people standing near Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard assaulted them after one of the victims took a photo of the NBA Rookie of the Year. More...
NBA DRAFT LOTTERY SIM
MADNESS!
