Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant Statue Ideas
By Chris Walton
‘Strength Over Pain.’
The night that Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon will go down as the moment that shifted his basketball career. It’s almost scary to see how one can go from the highest moment of competition to contemplating recovery and rebuilding. Bryant had a relatively healthy career eighteen years into the night, and it all came down to one moment.
To this very day, the injury seems to be one of the more unbelievable things to happen in the NBA. As mentioned, Bryant has never been known to miss extended periods of time, regardless of what was happening to him physically.
A sharp turn into a move that he’d made hundreds of times before turned into a ginger walk to the free-throw line. It’s almost ironic considering the injury happened while Bryant was covered by one of his biggest admirers in Harrison Barnes.
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One of the most insane stories to come from the injury is Bryant’s willingness to return back to the game despite the seriousness of his ailment. Bryant shared his plan with Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated:
"“When I first did it, right there, I was trying to feel if the tendon is there or if it’s gone,” Bryant recalled, in comments recorded by Nike. “I realized it wasn’t there. I was literally trying to pull the tendon up so hopefully I could walk and kind of hobble through the last two and a half minutes and try to play.”"
The pain and hurt was in Bryant’s eyes, and despite that, he sank both free throws without hesitation.