Miami Heat defeat the LA Lakers while Kobe Bryant sits out
One of the most famous players in the NBA, Kobe Bryant, has been struggling with injuries throughout the year, showing that Father Time catches up with everyone. Kobe has played for the Los Angeles Lakers since he finished high school and he has five NBA championship rings to show for it, as well as 15 showings in the NBA All-Star team.
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant hug after game
Over the past nine months, Kobe Bryant suffered serious injuries twice and was not able to play against the Miami Heat on Christmas Day. LeBron James saw his friend and rival go down this season and while he is still on top of his career, it is hard to not think about the future in a sport that doesn’t have old players.
In an interview after the game on December 25th, James said that “none of us can play forever” but that he does his best to prolong his run in the NBA and make sure that his body is in perfect shape in order to resist injuries and come back faster in case they happen.
Bryant has been very durable throughout his career and his recent knee injuries contrast his shape a few years ago. They also remind other players, including James, that every season is important and that the body needs to be kept in top shape for as long as possible.
LeBron James hasn’t had any serious injuries so far and the four-time NBA MVP has lost a maximum of seven games in one season. He played a lot of games and has more than 37,000 minutes on the court, without showing any signs of slowing down.
No secret, just a good training schedule
He was asked what his secret for such good health is and responded that he doesn’t have one. He has been fortune and healthy but has also done everything in his power to maintain his strength and condition every season. This doesn’t just refer to the practices during the season for the NBA star player who will turn 29 on Monday, but also a clear schedule during the offseason that makes sure he will be able to start the season in a top gear. Hopefully, having such a good practice schedule around the year will allow LeBron to come back quicker in case he does hit a bump along the way.
LeBron James
While Bryant is on the bench of now with a slow knee rehab, James said that he is one of the few guys in the NBA that can come back from anything. The two exchanged pleasantries when their teams met and hugged after the Heat defeated the Lakers 101-95.
James got 19 points and eight rebounds for a pretty good game but stated that he would have preferred to play against Bryant on Christmas and that it would have been more memorable.
According to the slow rehab, Bryant will also miss the last scheduled meeting between the Heat and the Lakers on January 23. Despite Kobe playing in seven NBA finals since 2000 and LeBron in four, the two have not met in the finals as of now and it doesn’t seem that it will happen in 2014 as LA has been struggling in the regular season while Miami is looking to three-peat.
The closest was last season as Dwight Howard came to the Lakers and it seemed that James and Bryant would finally meet in the dream final. However, Bryant suffered a serious Achilles injury that saw him away from the court for the rest of the season and the Lakers were eliminated early in the playoffs.
James also responded to the reports in which Kobe should sit out and stated that it is not in his nature. For now, James isn’t worried about his NBA mortality and it will be a few more years before he starts dwelling on it.
