Bryant Forced By Rules To Play In All-Star Game

Posted by Jeff Sack under Main

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament, an avulsion fracture, and a volar plate injury at the MCP joint of the small finger of this right hand. He dislocated the finger in a game against the New Jersey Nets back on February 5. On February 13, playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves Bryant aggravated the injury when he was hit on the hand during the game. He was advised by doctors to immediately have surgery which would cause him to miss six weeks. Bryant said he wanted to try to play through the pain to get through the season and the Summer Olympics before succumbing to the surgery. Many NBA observers, including this reporter have called Kobe Bryant a selfish player in the past, this however is a totally selfless act. He is putting his team’s needs first, I for one commend him for it.

Bryant was named by the fans as a starter for the Western Conference in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. Because of the pain he is in, and the fear of further injury Kobe does not want to play. It is understandable, although an honor when it comes down to it is a meaningless exhibition game. It is not even like in Baseball where the game has a determination on the Post Season. It should be a reward, however, because players in the past have not wanted to give up the time off during the All-Star break, there is a rule in place in the Association. If you play in the last game prior to, and the next game following the All-Star Game, and don’t play in the exhibition, you will be suspended.

I comprehend why the rule is in place, as I wrote above. But there has to be some leeway here, Bryant will play in the game Sunday so he can play when Los Angeles resumes the campaign after the break. It should not be a punishment to make the All-Star team. If NBA Commissioner David Stern can change the rules after the fact that would have found countless of the Association’s referees guilty of infractions, then he can change this rule. But afraid of losing one possible viewer the man whose middle name should be Marketing will let Bryant risk getting hurt. As the old song sang by the late Edwin Starr went “Lord knows there’s got to be a better way.”

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