Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will undergo surgery this week to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
The team said Monday that surgery has been scheduled for Wednesday morning. A timeline estimate for Bryant’s return will be issued following the surgery.
Bryant was examined Monday morning by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who confirmed an earlier diagnosis of a torn rotator cuff, and he advised the star player to have surgery.
ESPN reported on Friday that Bryant is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
“Now we know Kobe is probably not going to play (the rest of the year),” Lakers coach Byron Scott said at practice Monday.
It would be the third consecutive season-ending injury for the 36-year-old Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and former league MVP.
Kobe, a 19-year veteran, has one year remaining on his contract, during which he is set to be paid $25 million.
Bryant sustained the injury during the second half of a 96-80 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans last Wednesday night in New Orleans. Sources told ESPN that he has been dealing with this shoulder injury since the preseason.
Bryant apparently aggravated the injury with 4:14 left in the third quarter against the Pelicans when he drove baseline for a two-handed dunk. Bryant said after the game it felt as if his shoulder “came out of joint a little bit” on the dunk.
Bryant has played in 35 games this season since returning from an Achilles injury that sidelined him last year. He is averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists for the Lakers (12-33), who have lost eight straight games and are in last place in the Pacific Division.
Storm postpones 2 NBA games
Monday night’s scheduled NBA games involving New York teams were postponed due the onset of a snowstorm that was expected to dump as much as two feet of snow on the New York City area.
The New York Nets-Portland Trail Blazers game has been postponed until April 6 in Brooklyn.
Monday’s contest between the New York Knicks and the Sacramento Kings has been pushed to March 3 at Madison Square Garden.
The Trail Blazers, who are coming off a home win over Washington on Saturday, arrived in New York on Sunday and will instead turn their attention on Cleveland for a Wednesday night matchup with the streaking Cavaliers. Fresh off a three-game road trip that featured two blowout losses, the Nets are scheduled to play at Atlanta on Wednesday.
The Knicks have a home game scheduled for Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder and that contest could also be in jeopardy.
Sacramento travels to Toronto for a contest on Wednesday.
Hornets’ Biyombo, Williams out
The Charlotte Hornets released updates for center Bismack Biyombo and forward Marvin Williams, who both suffered injuries during Saturday’s game against the New York Knicks.
Biyombo has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee. He will not participate in impact activities and will be re-evaluated in approximately 10 days.
Biyombo left the game against the Knicks in the second quarter and did not return. In 38 games this season, he is averaging 4.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game.
Williams has been diagnosed with a concussion and a broken nose. He sustained both injures in the second quarter and did not return.
Williams cannot return to practice or game action until he passes the NBA concussion protocol. In 43 games, he is averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 24.7 minutes.