With a state of emergency called in New York and New Jersey and lashings of snow forecasted for the city. The NBA has decided that the bigger picture of health and safety comes before basketball.
MONDAY’S KNICKS, NETS GAMES POSTPONED
Via AP:
The NBA has postponed home games for both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets because of a snowstorm expected to batter the area.
The Knicks were to have hosted the Sacramento Kings on Monday night at the same time the Nets were scheduled to face the Portland Trail Blazers.
Sacramento will instead return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 3, adding an extra game to what was to have been a seven-game trip. The Trail Blazers-Nets game was rescheduled for Monday, April 6.
KOBE’S SEASON LOOKS EVEN MORE LIKELY TO END
It was reported, but now it is looking even more likely that Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant will miss the rest of the season due to rotator cuff surgery.
His 19th NBA season is possibly coming to an end, and talk of of retirement surely isn’t going to be far off either.
Via AP:
Bryant seriously aggravated a lingering shoulder ache while dunking last week in New Orleans. The star guard and the Lakers decided Monday on surgery, which typically requires several months of rehabilitation.
The Lakers will announce a timetable for Bryant’s recovery after surgery, but coach Byron Scott anticipates losing the third-leading scorer in NBA history for the rest of the year.
“Kobe is probably not going to play” again this season, Scott said.
The 36-year-old Bryant’s torn rotator cuff is likely his third straight season-ending injury. He missed the 2013 playoffs with a torn Achilles tendon, and he played just six games last season before breaking a bone near his left knee. His famously resilient body has finally worn down from the accumulated grind of nearly two decades and several lengthy postseasons with the Lakers, including five NBA title runs.
After returning at nearly full strength in training camp, Bryant sat out eight games to rest in the past month and played on a strict minutes limit. He still dealt with assorted aches and setbacks before he injured his shoulder.
Bryant met with Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic on Monday, determining his injury’s extent and deciding on surgery. He is averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 35 games this season, but shooting a career-worst 37.3 percent in a wildly inconsistent season.
The Lakers reacted to the news with disappointment and respect for Bryant, who was selected to the All-Star Game for the 17th time last week.
“Kobe is a warrior,” Lakers forward Carlos Boozer said. “He’s strong, and he’s going to attack rehab like he always has.”
The Lakers also discouraged speculation that Bryant’s career might be over. He is the NBA’s highest-paid player at $23.5 million this season, and he is under contract for $25 million next year.
“I think he’s done everything that you can possibly do in this league, and I think at times, we don’t appreciate all the stuff that he’s been able to accomplish,” Scott said. “I don’t think we appreciate how tough he is, all the injuries and other things that he’s played with, to be able to come back the way that he’s come back. I don’t see Kobe as the type of guy that wants to leave his legacy on [these] terms. I think he wants to go out on his own terms. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
KEMBA TO MISS AT LEAST 6 WEEKS
Charlotte Hornets’ Kemba Walker has been dealing with a meniscus injury in his left knee that has caused him to miss his side’s last three games.
Now, he’s reportedly leaning toward surgery, which could mean he’ll miss six weeks of action. It would be a devastating blow for a team already dealing with several other key injuries.
Via Yahoo! Sports:
Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker is leaning toward undergoing a surgical procedure on his left knee that could cause him to miss six weeks, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
No final determination on surgery had been made, but Walker traveled to New York on Monday to meet with a knee specialist, an appointment that was first reported by the Charlotte Observer.
Walker has been struggling with a meniscus injury in the knee, but had been resolute on trying to play through the pain. Walker, who signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension in the offseason, has had occasional problems with a cyst in the left knee dating back to his high school career.
For the Hornets, the loss of Walker would be devastating to their playoff hopes. Despite numerous injuries, Hornets coach Steve Clifford has managed to work Charlotte (19-26) into the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
Walker has missed three games in the past week, and there’s been significant discussion among doctors and Hornets officials about the necessity of surgery.
Walker has averaged 18.8 points and 5.2 assists per game this season.
Charlotte is dealing with injuries to several key players, including Marvin Williams, Bismack Biyombo and Jannero Pargo.
