Lakers News: Kobe Bryant Out With Sore Shoulder Vs. Thunder
Usatsi_9000091_153179170_lowres
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

After a slow start, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has played extremely well over the past few games. Kobe is shooting better, facilitating more, and seems to have his legs under him.

In the most recent game, Kobe even had his first dunk of the season, a surprising posterization of Houston Rockets big man, Clint Capela.

The Lakers are set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, but in a surprising development, Kobe will not play due to a sore shoulder according to Lakers reporter Mike Trudell:

Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that rookie Anthony Brown will make his first career start in place of Kobe:

The most important thing here is the health of Kobe. Last season, it was a dunk that tore Bryant’s rotator cuff and put him out for the season. The Lakers and Kobe want him to make it through this final season healthy, so they are surely hoping that this is nothing serious.

The move to start Brown is an interesting one as Metta World Peace had stepped in for Kobe in previous games he missed. Starting Brown instead could be a signal that the Lakers are going to be leaning more on the young players going forward. For Brown, this is one of the toughest possible matchups he could have in a first start as he will have to guard former MVP, Kevin Durant.

You May Also Like

Luke Walton Names Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant To All-Time Lakers Starting Lineup

It’s been a favorite pastime of current and former Los Angeles Lakers as well as famous fans of the team to list out…

Andrew Bynum Plans to Play Wednesday Against Timberwolves

After being selected as a starter for the Western Conference in the…

Lakers News: L.A. Most Profitable NBA Team By Large Margin

Even in the midst of the worst four-year stretch in team history, the Los Angeles Lakers remain the premier franchise in the NBA…

‘Jellybean’ Joe Bryant to become Head Coach of the Los Angeles Sparks

The struggling Los Angeles Sparks have announced that they will replace head…