Kobe Bryant was dealing with an illness Sunday, one that threatened to keep him out of the Lakers’ game against the Detroit Pistons.
With head coach Byron Scott leaving the call up to Bryant, the 17-time All-Star opted to suit up, something he “probably” wouldn’t have done were it not his final NBA season. The sure-fire Hall of Famer shot 2-of-15 in 26 minutes as the Lakers were rolled, but that didn’t change his attitude about playing Monday in Toronto on the second night of a back-to-back.
Will Kobe (stomach flu) play tomorrow in Toronto? “If I’m walking, I’m playing,” he said.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 7, 2015
With Bryant announcing he’ll retire at the end of the season, Monday marks not only Bryant’s first visit to Toronto in almost three calendar years but also his final one. He’s put up better numbers against the Raptors than any other team, including his historic 81-point performance in 2006.
Check back tomorrow when we’ll have plenty of Kobe-centric content. For now, DeMar DeRozan and other Toronto-based Kobe fans can rest assured he’s playing. Probably (and perhaps somewhat unexpectedly).
