Kobe Bryant Surgery Was A Success!!!....Kobe Bryant Had Surgery Today To Repair His Torn Achilles’ Tendon, Expected To Be Out 6-9 Months! -- Video Inside

Kobe Bryant Surgery Was A Success!!!....Kobe Bryant Had Surgery Today To Repair His Torn Achilles’ Tendon, Expected To Be Out 6-9 Months! -- Kobe Bryant’s surgery to repair a torn Achilles’ tendon was successful, however the Los Angeles Lakers star will be sidelined for at least six to nine months as he recuperates, the team and doctors said today.

Bryant, 34, tore his left Achilles’ tendon in the closing minutes of Friday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors. The All-Star shooting guard, who has carried the Lakers all season, hobbled to the free throw line after the injury to take his two free throws for being fouled.

He hit them both, tying the game 108-108, before going to the locker room. The Lakers went on to win the game.

Bryant, who was averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists,was operated on by Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Dr. Stephen Lombardo of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Group.
Bryant, the NBA’s fourth all-time leading scorer, has dealt with injuries in the past, but never one as serious and potentially career-ending as this one.
“You need your Achilles’ tendon, muscle, tendon here, to allow you to walk,” said Dr. Robert Klapper, chief of orthopedic surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Group.

Kobe Bryant may have ruptured Achilles tendon

Kobe Bryant clutched his leg after being injured in the second half Friday night.

(CNN) -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant left Friday night's game with a leg injury that could be a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Bryant will have an MRI on Saturday to determine the exact nature of the injury.

If the injury does turn out to be a ruptured Achilles, it could have long-term effects for Bryant and the Lakers. That injury could take up to a year to heal, according to Will Carroll, sports injuries lead writer for Bleacher Report. Bryant has previously said that next season could be his last in the NBA. This is the 16th season in the league for the 34-year-old.

According to a tweet from the Lakers, Bryant could tell what the injury was before seeing a doctor.

"I was just hoping it wasn't what I thought it was," Bryant said, according to the tweet.

The Lakers have two games left in the regular season, both at home. They face the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

The team, after beating the Golden State Warriors 118-116 last night, is one game ahead of the Utah Jazz for the final spot in the NBA's Western Conference playoffs.

Kobe Bryant Defends 'Magic Johnson' Gay Son Despite His Past Anti-Gay Slur + Magic on Giving EJ 'The Talk

Kobe Bryant Defends 'Magic Johnson' Gay Son Despite His Past Anti-Gay Slur + Magic on Giving EJ 'The Talk' -- Magic Johnson son EJ Johnson chatted briefly with a TMZ videographer as he walked, saying he was looking forward to his father’s latest project, the remodeled Dodger Stadium. “It’ll look new and amazing,” he said. As for his father’s former team, the Lakers, he said, “They have a lot of work to do as far as I’ve heard .… I always root for my Lakers.”

When TMZ asked Magic Johnson for a comment, Johnson said, “Cookie and I love EJ and support him in every way. We’re very proud of him.”

Laker star Kobe Bryant’s response, however, may have a greater influence on professional sports, which has no openly gay players in any of the major male team sports: "Of course Magic is supportive of and loves his son,” he told TMZ. “Why should anyone be surprised? What I can’t tolerate is a lack of tolerance.”

Just two years ago, Bryant was fined $100,000 for screaming

an anti-gay slur at a referee during a game.