Kobe Bryant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kupchak on Kobe, Amnesty, Lakers

April 13th, 2013 at 7:19pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Shortly before the announcement that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant underwent successful surgery (according to NBA.com) and faces a six-to-nine month road to recovery, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak spoke to reporters and fielded questions about his thoughts on Kobe, Mike D'Antoni's decision to give him heavy minutes, and what's next for the Lakers heading into the playoffs. Kupchak also mentioned that Kobe was in good spirits before the operation and has his sights set on returning in time for training camp in November. Here are some more of the highlights from the transcript (via NBA.com):

On the idea of possibly amnestying Kobe:

"That’s not even something we’ve discussed. From my understanding without going into great detail, that’s not something that gets to the fall. I think that's something that happens in July, so that’s not something that takes place next year. That’s the furthest thing from my mind right now."

On Mike D'Antoni's decision to give Kobe extended minutes as of late:

"…I don’t think Mike is at blame here one bit. Certainly everybody can second guess looking back on it now and say maybe you should have done something different. But even if you take Kobe out of the game, there are a lot of times where he’ll just get up and put himself back into the game. Just because you say you’re out of the game doesn’t mean he’s going to come out of the game or going to stay out of the game."

On whether or not Kobe could have been convinced to sit:

"At a certain level, when you’re talking to players, these guys are different and Kobe is at the top of the list when it comes to being different. They’re wound up differently and they’re cut differently. When you’re at the top of your profession, you just look at things differently. His message to me was: ‘Mitch, I hear what you’re saying, but we have to get in the playoffs. I’m playing and there’s nothing you can do about it."

Asked if Phil Jackson could have said no to playing Kobe heavy minutes:

"Kobe is no different under Phil (Jackson) than he was under Rudy (Tomjanovich) than he was under Mike (Brown) or under Mike D’Antoni."

On Dwight Howard's importance moving forward:

"It’s not just Dwight. Everybody’s going to have to raise their level of play. He’s the main guy. Certainly a lot will fall on his shoulders. When we get Steve Nash back, a lot will fall on his shoulders. Last night, Pau was one of our best players, too. I’m not going to say that it’s all on one person’s shoulders, but everybody has to carry a little bit more right now and Dwight is one of them."

Lakers Confirm Achilles Tear For Kobe Bryant

April 13th, 2013 at 2:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

Longtime Lakers trainer Gary Vitti told reporters, including Arash Markazi of ESPN.com, that Kobe Bryant has suffered a torn left Achilles tendon and will be out for six to nine months (Twitter link). Bryant suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of last night's win over the Warriors. He stayed in the game to take a pair of free throws, making them both, before limping off. It's a third-degree rupture, meaning the tendon is completely torn, Vitti said, as Eric Pincus and Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times note (Twitter links). Bryant's surgery is set for later today, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Vitti told McMenamin and others that the plan is for Bryant to be ready for the 2013/14 season opener, though that would represent the early side of the timetable (Twitter link). A doctor who's unaffiliated with the team told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Kobe Bryant could be back in time for the start of next season, but it's more likely recovery will take nine to 12 months. Another doctor tells Deveney that Bryant will never regain 100% of his athletic ability.

Vitti vehemently dismissed the notion that Bryant's heavy minutes of late contributed to the injury, according to Pincus (Twitter link). Tim Grover, Bryant's personal trainer, agrees, telling Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com that he'd be "shocked" if the increased playing time led to the tear (Twitter link). Coach Mike D'Antoni nonetheless absorbed blame in response to a question last night from Brian Kamenetzky of SheridanHoops.com.

"Yeah, definitely. It's my call at the very end, so if he gets hurt, then (I feel responsible)," D'Antoni said. "But I'm not going to sit here and go, 'Maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt if (he played less).' You don't know. You've got to go forward, and we made decisions collectively and tried to make the best ones we can. Right now, that's not turning out to be great. But it might not have been good, anyway. If you're a couple games out and not making the playoffs, then he can rest all summer. We'll go back and forth, but I don't know, hypotheticals — we can talk about it, but it's not going to help any."

There's been speculation, from Grantland's Bill Simmons and others, that the Lakers could waive Bryant via the amnesty clause this summer, as he's set to make $30.454MM next season, the highest salary in the league. That's not likely, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who points out that the Lakers would lose Bryant's Bird rights if they did so (Twitter link). Thus, the move would only come in handy if the Lakers are certain they'd have enough cap space in 2014 to re-sign him, as Stein argues via Twitter. However, Steve Nash is currently the only commitment the Lakers have beyond next season, so the team probably wouldn't have trouble fitting Bryant back under the cap if need be.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said amnestying Bryant is "the furthest thing from our minds," Shelburne tweets.

Latest On Kobe Bryant

April 13th, 2013 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

Last night, the Lakers received devastating news when they learned that Kobe Bryant has torn his Achilles tendon. The Lakers already had their work cut out for them in a potential first-round matchup with the Thunder, but they'll really be at a disadvantage without their star guard in action. The injury could also have long-term ramifications for the Lakers and speculation is already ramping up about the club possibly amnestying the future Hall of Famer this summer. Here's more on Kobe and the Lakers..

Bryant took to Facebook to vent his frustrations about the injury early Saturday morning. Within the rant, Bryant wondered aloud if he could come back strong from this injury as he approaches 35 but also voiced that he is determined to overcome the setback.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) could only see the Lakers amnestying Bryant with his blessing. If Bryant knew that he needed a full year to recover, the Lakers could hypothetically use the amnesty clause on him and re-sign him for the following season.
For Bryant, overcoming the injury will be yet another thing that Michael Jordan never did or had to do and will be another way to separate himself in history, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

Lakers Fear Kobe Bryant Has Torn Achilles

April 13th, 2013 at 12:24am CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers survived tonight's game against the Warriors when Stephen Curry's would-be game-winning heave from 70 feet away just barely rimmed out, but they may have suffered an even bigger blow than if that shot had gone in. The Lakers believe Kobe Bryant has torn his Achilles tendon, the team told reporters, including Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). Bryant will undergo an MRI tomorrow morning to confirm the initial diagnosis.

Bryant appeared to suffer three different leg injuries during the game, though the major blow seemed to occur with 3:08 to go, when he crumpled to the ground following a foul by Harrison Barnes. Bryant remained in the game to shoot his two free throws, making both, and exited after Steve Blake committed a foul to stop the clock with 3:06 left.

If Bryant indeed suffered the Achilles tear, he'd no doubt be done for this season and probably most of next year, as well. His contract runs through next season, and he's frequently hinted that he'll retire when the deal is up. He said two weeks ago that he'd decide this summer whether next season will be his last.

In the short term, such a major injury would damage L.A.'s chances of beating the Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers have a one-game lead with two games left for each team, but the Jazz hold the tiebreaker. The Cavs and Suns also have stakes in the outcome, since Cleveland gets the Lakers' first-round pick if L.A. makes the playoffs, while the selection goes to Phoenix if the Jazz nab the postseason berth.

Bryant seemed resigned to the worst of news as he spoke to the media following the game. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets one of his comments:

"I made a move I've made a million times and it just popped. … (It felt) like I had no Achilles. That was the sensation," Bryant said.

Kobe Bryant To Decide On Future This Summer

March 31st, 2013 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant has frequently suggested that he will retire following the 2013/14 season, and after passing Wilt Chamberlain to become the NBA's No. 4 all-time leading scorer last night, Bryant told Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that he'll formally announce his intentions soon. The Black Mamba will decide this summer whether next season will be his last, but said his sense at the moment is that he'll walk away in the summer of 2014.

"I’ll talk to my family and stuff and really see if I want to continue to sacrifice as much as I’m sacrificing right now," Bryant said. "I’m putting my body through a lot to just try to get ready to play every single night. To do what I’m doing right now, it’s not easy. I’ll tell you, it’s taken a lot of commitment."

Bryant, who's eligible for an extension in the offseason, insists that if he chooses retirement, he won't listen to any entreaties from the Lakers to play longer. Still, he said one reason he wants to decide this summer is so the team can make plans based on whether he'll be around. Steve Nash is the only Laker signed beyond next season, and LeBron James could opt out of his deal and highlight the free agent class in 2014, so the purple and gold could be in for some major retooling.

If Bryant sticks around, he might have a shot at passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time points lead, which would happen in 2016/17 if he keeps up his current pace. Bryant believes that record is safe, as he told reporters, including Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

"I don’t see it happening," Bryant said. "But if I change my mind and decide to play a little bit longer and be a (point guard), that’s what I’ll do."

Odds & Ends: Redick, Kobe, Lottery Odds

March 16th, 2013 at 10:29pm CST by Ryan Raroque

J.J. Redick spent nearly six and a half seasons with the Magic before being dealt to the Bucks right before the trade deadline. According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, Redick says that he never felt any ill-will toward the Magic organization during the process and completely understands why they traded him: "Based on Arron (Afflalo) being there and who’s in the draft this year and where the Magic are likely to pick, there’s no way they would commit anything to me long-term — not just me, but just anybody in my situation. From a business standpoint, from a cap-building and rebuilding standpoint, it wouldn’t make sense. I get that. That’s fine."

You can find more of what we've gathered up from the Association tonight below:

Mark Medina of the LA Daily News (via Twitter) provides a brief update of Lakers star Kobe Bryant's injury status, saying that his ankle sprain is considered serious enough to deem his return indefinite.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets that the draft lottery odds will be affected on a nightly basis moving forward, as eight teams have between 22-24 wins. Most notably, those teams could be choosing as high as third or as low as tenth depending on how their season ends.
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW thinks that Brandan Wright's dependable play could very well make him a keeper for the Mavericks for the long-term.
Marco Belinelli has relished his time in Chicago so far, and the Bulls shooting guard – once viewed as Kyle Korver's replacement as a perimeter shooter – has worked hard to remove the stereotype that he's just a one-dimensional player (Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports).
Shaun Livingston has been the beneficiary of heavy playing time for Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, who has looked to the 6'7 point guard to fill in for the injured Kyrie Irving, observes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer.
Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel catches up with former Bucks forward Tobias Harris, who appears to be thriving in a significant role with the Magic.
Perry Jones III credits the Thunder veterans for preparing him before he filled in for the injured Hasheem Thabeet on Friday, says Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK. Coach Scott Brooks made note of the rookie's eight-point, five rebound performance, and despite saying that there currently isn't any room in the rotation, the Baylor product has "a very bright future" with the team.

Los Angeles Notes: Clark, Dwight, Clippers

March 9th, 2013 at 10:26pm CST by Ryan Raroque

To say that the Lakers' season has been a roller coaster ride would be an understatement, and with a 7-2 record over their last nine games amidst a strong push for a spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, the purple and gold faithful have reason to hope that the car keeps climbing up. However, one of the biggest pleasant surprises seems to have hit a slump, as ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne notes that Earl Clark has only reached double figure scoring once in the team's last seven games. We have a few links to share out of Los Angeles tonight, and you can find them below:

Chauncey Billups opens up about the adjustments that he's had to make with the Clippers, from moving to shooting guard and returning from an achilles injury (Broderick Turner of the LA Times).
Although he's had his share of struggles from the free throw line, Dwight Howard is too valuable in other areas of the game to be kept off the court during crunch time, opines Janis Carr of the OC Register.
Howard tells Eric Pincus of the LA Times about what he's learned by playing alongside Kobe Bryant, particularly about getting over his fear of missing shots and improving off the court habits. "I think this is a blessing for me, to experience the stuff that I've experienced this year. It's just going to make me a better man and a better player…Just from watching Kobe — this has been great for me. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Defending the three point line has been a glaring concern for the Clippers, who may find themselves unable to advance in the playoffs if things don't change, writes Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer notes the importance of the Lakers making the playoffs for the Cavaliers, as Cleveland will have the option of swapping Miami's first round pick with the Lakers' if it falls out of the lottery.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kobe, Richmond, Kings

March 8th, 2013 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

Following their loss last night in Denver, the Clippers added a 15th man to their roster, signing ex-Sixer Maalik Wayns to a 10-day contract. That's the top headline out of the Pacific so far today, but let's check in on a few other stories from the Clips' division rivals….

Warriors sources recognize that the team could use an "explosive offensive player" who can make plays off the dribble, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. That's one of the reasons Golden State had interest in Dion Waiters at last year's draft, says Kawakami.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, Kobe Bryant was asked when he'll retire and said it would happen "soon," although he didn't specify exactly how soon, as Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register writes.
Mitch Richmond isn't just hoping to keep the Kings in Sacramento and invest in the franchise. He's also eyeing a possible front-office position, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee have the latest details on the Sacramento group's PR effort in its quest to save the Kings.

Lakers Links: Howard, Kupchak, Buss, Bryant

March 1st, 2013 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers probably shouldn't expect to gain any ground in the Western Conference playoff race tonight, as the Rockets and Jazz are set to play the NBA's two worst teams, the Magic and Bobcats. Still, a win last night over the Timberwolves pulled the Lakers back to within a game of .500 and within just two games of Houston in the Western standings. Here are a few of the latest notes out of Lakerland:

With last Thursday's trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, Mitch Kupchak no longer has to continue insisting that Dwight Howard won't be traded, but as Sam Amick of USA Today writes, the Lakers GM is still defending Howard. Kupchak tells Amick that he was surprised Howard returned from back surgery as early as he did, and that he believes D12 has received an unfair amount of criticism.
Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth explores the question of whether the Lakers' future is safe in the hands of Jim Buss, noting that Buss would be wise to place his trust in Kupchak.
Kobe Bryant has frequently suggested he may retire when his current contract expires in 2014, but given how well he has played this season, retirement shouldn't even be on Kobe's radar, writes Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.

Odds & Ends: Dell Demps, Chris Paul, Mark Cuban

February 22nd, 2013 at 10:44pm CST by Daniel Seco

Here's the latest news and headlines from around the league with a weekend chock full of games awaiting…

Hornets GM Dell Demps says not making a trade at the deadline stems from his belief in his core players even if they struggle to accumulate wins, says Terrance Harris of The Times-Picayune. Demps was presented with a variety of different offers but none of them made sense for his team's future.
Clippers point guard Chris Paul believes his team is capable of winning a championship even without making a splash at the trade deadline, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. “Let me tell you right now,” he said. “If I didn’t feel like it was, I wouldn’t be playing. I don’t play just for fun. We’re playing to win a championship.”
Mavs owner Mark Cuban made comments on Friday insinuating that the Lakers should consider using their amnesty clause to rid themselves of Kobe Bryant's contract for next season. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter) points out Bryant's brand value means even more to the Lakers than his contributions on the court and that Cuban would never amnesty a player like the Black Mamba for that reason.