Lakers News: Buzz Surrounding Kobe Bryant Injury, LA Recruitment Push and More

Thursday was supposed to be a special day for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the ninth anniversary of Bryant's legendary 81-point outburst against the Toronto Raptors, a performance deeply embedded in NBA lore.

Bryant was also revealed as a starter for the 2015 All-Star Game, his 17th selection as a pro. Bryant,who is averaging 22.3 points per game on a paltry 37.3 shooting from the field, certainly isn't the most deserving starter fans have ever elected, but that could be a moot point after some of the day's other developments.

The good Lakers news has been usurped by the bad, and the latest developments regarding Bryant inform some of the other recent rumblings from Los Angeles.

Here is the latest news out of Lakerland.



Kobe Bryant Injury

Bryant and the Lakers organization as a whole received discouraging injury news on Thursday, per Lakers.com's Mike Trudell:



Bryant apparently injured his right shoulder during the Lakers' Wednesday night loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and played the end of the game left-handed—even scoring on a lefty jumper.

However, ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne noted the shoulder has been an issue all season:



In the short term, Bryant's injury presumably means more playing time for backcourt players such as nominal sixth man Nick Young, emerging from a recent shooting slump and perhaps a permanent call-up for combo guard Jordan Clarkson, who has bounced back and forth between the Lakers and the D-League for much of the season.

CBS Sports' Ken Berger also noted it's possible the Lakers could shut down Bryant for the year with this injury:



If the Lakers want a healthy, contributing Bryant next season, that might be the best course of action at this point, even if the tear is small and time off proves to be mainly protective and precautionary.
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers