Kobe Bryant Tears Rotator Cuff in Right Shoulder, NBA Lakers Say

By Mason Levinson

Photographer: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers grabs his right shoulder during a game against... Read More

Kobe Bryant tore the rotator cuff in his right shoulder playing for the Los Angeles Lakers two nights ago in a game at the New Orleans Pelicans.
Preliminary results of a scan given to Bryant in San Antonio showed the tear, the Lakers said in a statement on their website. The guard returned to Los Angeles yesterday and will be examined by team doctors today.
Bryant, 36, returned to action in New Orleans after missing two games as part of Lakers coach Byron Scott’s plan to give him more rest.
The second-half injury forced Bryant to shoot left-handed in the 96-80 loss, according to the Associated Press. Bryant tallied 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting, playing just under 30 minutes.
A 16-time All-Star, Bryant is third on the
National Basketball Association’s career scoring list with 32,482 points, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) and Karl Malone (36,928 points). His 22.3 points per game this season rank ninth in the league.
The Lakers are 12-31, 23 1/2 games back in the Pacific Division.
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that hold the upper arm in the shoulder socket, according to the Mayo Clinic.