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When Kobe Bryant Admitted That He Had Torn Shoulder Several Years Before Actual Surgery
Kobe Bryant was one of the best basketball players ever. His legendary status was never in question and that was because of his mentality and desire to play the game at any cost.
Unlike modern-day NBA players who may choose to skip games because of minor injuries, Kobe Bryant personified the well-known Mamba Mentality by overcoming setbacks to win at any cost. This frequently meant that even though his body was not ready to withstand further abrasion, Kobe did not hesitate to take the court.
His later years were difficult. He suffered an ACL tear during the 2012–13 season, which prevented him from playing in more than six games the following season. The 6'6" shooting guard suffered a shoulder injury in the middle of the 2014–15 season as a result. But he later disclosed that, before receiving the necessary surgery, he had been living with a torn rotator cuff for several years.
The former MVP stressed in his interview with Ahmad Rashad that he had known for several years that he had a torn rotator cuff. Despite the severity of the tear, he was able to miraculously continue performing at a high level because he knew he was chasing a championship.
Bryant said, "I tore my rotator cuff. The funny thing about it is I've been playing with it, I guess, torn for a long time. I just never actually got an MRI on it because the strength, even now, the strength in my shoulder is good. I can shoot, but I just keep tearing it more and more and more. It's just I've never actually gotten looked at because the strength was so good."
Even though Kobe was dealing with a shoulder injury well before the 2014–15 season, he was still able to play in 35 games. More astonishingly, he led the Lakers in assists with 5.6 per game and scoring with an average of 22.3 points per game.
The 18-time All-Star went on to elaborate on why he earned the nickname "painless" and why he put himself in danger even though he knew it would have negative effects. He said that his goal was to instill in the next generation the value of tenacity and to push themselves to the limit until they could go no farther.
Bryant added, "Doesn't matter if I’m sick. Doesn't matter if I have a sprained ankle. The kid that's sitting in there might be the next me sitting up there watching and trying to get inspiration from that. I need to go out there and play." This kind of mentality may help to explain why Kobe’s legacy in the sports world is so much greater than that of many other athletes. For those who followed basketball or simply enjoyed sports in general and found motivation in him, Bryant represented tenacity.
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