"Lee, the team will be handed over to you next." When he said this, Kobe looked disappointed.
It is now January 22, and the time is slightly back. After three days of rest, the Lakers flew to Phoenix again two days later. However, this time the Lakers still failed to complete their revenge against the Suns. They lost all four games against the Suns this season.
Li Hao's touch was almost the same as in the previous game, but after determining that his shooting touch was not good, Li Hao began to attack the basket defensively.
He made 8 of 23 shots, 1 of 5 three-pointers, and 6 of 8 free throws. He scored 23 points, 8 assists, and 11 rebounds.
Li Hao's double-double couldn't save the Lakers, and Kobe still didn't come with the team for this game. Li Hao was indeed a little alone.
However, this situation changed two days later. Kobe was back. After an upcoming break, Kobe finally answered on the court.
And the returning Kobe once again showed good form. However, this good state came to an abrupt end in the third quarter. Less than a minute into the game, Kobe received a pass from Li Hao, broke into the penalty area, and then made an iconic backhand dunk under the basket.
Kobe has not done such a dunk for a long time, let alone this iconic dunk, so when Kobe completes this dunk, Kobe fans feel like they are back to their peak.
However, just as the fans were immersed in Kobe's dunk performance, a painful expression appeared on Kobe's face. Kobe's painful performance did not escape everyone's eyes. Scott immediately stopped the game and Kobe was Substituted and the team doctor examined Kobe.
The game restarted after the timeout. The Lakers, who originally had a slight lead, were quickly overtaken after Kobe left the game.
"Kobe, if you return to the court now, you will probably end your basketball career early," the team doctor stopped him.
The words of the team doctor brought Kobe back to reality and made Kobe realize that he was no longer the young man. He was now 36 years old and his resilience could no longer be compared with when he was young.
"Kobe, go to the hospital for a detailed examination first," Scott also dissuaded.
"If I don't play, I'll just watch here. I won't go to the hospital until the game is over." As long as Kobe doesn't play anymore, the head coach and team doctor won't dissuade him.
The Lakers, who lost Kobe, could no longer catch up with the Pelicans. Even if Li Hao regained his usual form, even if Li Hao destroyed the Pelicans' perimeter, he could only compete with the thick-browed brother.
Li Hao beat the Pelicans on the outside, and Anthony Davis beat the Lakers on the inside. After the two matched up, it was a battle between other players, and then the Lakers lost.
Because of Kobe's injury, the Lakers returned to Los Angeles overnight after the game, which led to the scene just now.
…………………………………………….
A torn right shoulder is the price of dreaming of returning to the top.
Although Kobe is old, he is not so fragile that his right shoulder will be torn after a dunk. In fact, this dunk is more of an inducement. It is really the fragility of Kobe's right shoulder itself.
Since 2002, Kobe's right button has been injured many times. It's just that Kobe was young at the time and had good physical fitness. However, the debt he owed when he was young must be paid back when he is old.
Moreover, Kobe could not help but refuse to repay this debt, and this time the Lakers management did not let Kobe be willful. In the end, Kobe had no choice but to accept the request for surgery.
This also means that Kobe will miss all subsequent games, which is the so-called season reimbursement. The Achilles tendon in the 12-13 season, the left knee in the 13-14 season, and now the right shoulder, Kobe has been seriously injured for three consecutive seasons.
"You take good care of your injuries and leave the team to me." Li Hao patted Kobe on the shoulder.
"Why do I feel that there is excitement in your tone?" Kobe stared at Li Hao.
"How could it be? You know me, I'm not that kind of person." He said this, but he couldn't hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Can you please stop the smile on your face when you say this?" Kobe said with a glare.
"Yes, did I laugh? How could I laugh when you are injured?" Li Hao explained.
In fact, Li Hao really doesn't want Kobe to get injured. No matter what, a healthy Kobe can always contribute to the team, and the Lakers can win more games in the next games.
"No matter what, you have to be mentally prepared." Kobe knew the Lakers' lineup this season and what Li Hao would face next.
When he is healthy, he can take responsibility for Li Hao, but with his season reimbursement, the responsibility for the remaining thirty-odd games will fall on Li Hao.
Li Hao is indeed just a rookie, but as the season progresses, anyone who pays attention to basketball can see that the Lakers are cultivating Li Hao and regard Li Hao as the next core after Kobe Bryant.
"I'm mentally prepared this time." Kobe's stop and go gave Li Hao enough time to adapt.
………………………………………….
The next day, the Lakers officially announced that Kobe was out for the season due to a torn right shoulder.
Fans had already had a premonition after Kobe was replaced yesterday, but they were still disappointed when the Lakers actually announced that Kobe was out for the season.
Fans know that Kobe's career is not long anymore, and they have to watch one game less. Therefore, fans do not long for Kobe to be like his peak. The fans' current wish is actually very simple, they just hope that Kobe can play healthily. Finish the rest of the game.
After the Lakers officially announced the news, the media began to contact Kobe, and soon some media who had a good relationship with Kobe also got exact information from Kobe.
Next, Kobe will undergo surgery on his right shoulder, and this surgery will inevitably cause Kobe to miss all remaining games.
This also means that Kobe will be absent from the upcoming All-Star Game. Currently, Li Hao is firmly the vote leader, and Kobe is ranked second. According to the current situation, the two could have started together in the All-Star Game.
But now, according to the number of votes, the person who partners with Li Hao should be Curry. Curry's current number of votes ranks fourth among all players and third in the Western Conference, second only to Li Hao and Kobe.
Li Hao and Curry, Cole's dream backcourt partner came true in the All-Stars.
………………………………………….
Well, at this time, no one cares about the All-Stars or Cole's dream backcourt partner. What everyone really cares about is what will happen to the Lakers after Kobe is retired for the season?
How Li Hao will perform? Although Kobe Bryant has been injured before, a few games of injury and reimbursement for the season are two different concepts. Therefore, Li Hao will inevitably attract everyone's attention, and even the team itself will pay more attention to Li Hao.
It is not easy to be a team leader. Personal strength can only be regarded as the basic condition for becoming a leader. This is fully proved by Thunder star Durant.
Durant is strong, his offensive ability can rank among the top three in the league, and even the top three are lower. Durant has won the scoring title four times in the past five years, and no one would object if he ranked first in the league in scoring.
But even so, no one thinks that Durant is an excellent team leader. Needless to say, he later turned to the enemy. Durant's leadership ability is fully demonstrated in the Thunder and the Nets in the future.
