What else could go wrong?
Sometimes, when bad things start to happen, the floodgates open. Sure it may start as a light drizzle, but before you know it, you are trying to brave a full-blown hurricane just to make it through the day. While many believed that things couldn't be worse for the Los Angeles Lakers, the future is not looking too bright.
In a much-needed win for a franchise desperately trying to make their season continue into the playoffs, something terrible happened. While facing Golden State, Kobe Bryant, after having an incredible game, went down with a little over three minutes left in regulation, after drawing a foul from Harrison Barnes. Though he returned to the game to hit his free throw shots, after heading to lockers and getting an MRI, it was revealed the Black Mamba had torn his Achilles.
With a typical Achilles tear, surgery is the only option. Players who go through Achilles surgery are normally out from six months to a year, and sometimes never comeback. This was the same injury that ended the careers of Charles Barkley and Shaq.
While Kobe has just recently undergone surgery, speculation as to what this will mean long term for the Lakers is already making its way to the limelight. With a big question mark surrounding Bryant’s long-term future in the NBA, he is set to make around 30.4 million from the Lakers in the final season of his current contract. The interesting thing is that team still has their lone amnesty clause, which if used, cuts a player from their roster, and saves the team from paying the tax on the player's salary with no repercussion. According to ESPN, if the amnesty clause was used on Kobe, the Lakers would, “…save significant luxury tax penalties north of $60 million.”
While the Lakers are currently focused on winning out their season and making the playoffs, one has to wonder if LA would be bold enough to cut Kobe. Maybe Mark Cuban actually is a genius.
Photo courtesy of NY Times
