No Kobe...no problem

October 22, 12:58 PMLos Angeles Lakers ExaminerColin Ward-Henninger

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Los Angeles Lakers Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

There are few times when there is silence in Los Angeles, but you could hear a pin drop when Kobe Bryant went down with a knee injury in the second quarter of Tuesday night's win over the Bobcats in San Diego.

Watch the video of the injury and judge for yourself, but it did not look good. WARNING: If you're eating, you might want to wait at least 30 minutes before watching.

Kobe's hyper-extended right knee is going to be re-evaluated Wednesday, but Brian Perdue of the OC Register seems to think the injury is worse than the Lakers are saying.

I'm here to tell you that the Lakers should not fret over losing the reigning MVP. My wheels have been spinning for the past 12 hours and I have come up with several ways by which the Lakers can make up for Kobe's absence:

• Phil Jackson can use his Zen powers to play the entire 2008-09 season in his mind, in which the Lakers go 82-0 and with the NBA Championship.
• In a stunning show of solidarity, the NBA Player's Association can cancel the season, citing that any championship would be tainted if it was won without playing against Kobe.
• The Lakers can hire this Kobe Bryant look-alike to wear #24 and run around the court as a decoy. When asked why he hasn't attempted a shot all season, the decoy can reply that he's "trying to get his teammates involved."
• The Staples Center facility workers can take a literal approach to the classic metaphor and actually place a lid on the opposing team's basket.
• The Lakers can decide to play Kobe despite the injury because, let's face it, Kobe on crutches is better than anything else they can send out there.

In all seriousness, let's hope Kobe won't have to miss too much time. Although 99% of fans outside of L.A. would probably be happy if he couldn't play, I think we all know the season just would't be the same without the NBA's best player.