Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is no stranger to injuries and he offered some advice for Indiana Pacers star Paul George as he recovers from what is expected to be a season-ending broken leg.
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George broke his leg during a scrimmage for Team U.S.A. basketball in August and he isn't expected to play this season due to the gruesome nature of the ailment.
Bryant, who was held to just six games in the 2013-14 campaign due to myriad injuries, reached out to George to talk to him about dealing with the time off.
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"What I took away from him reaching out is that you have to become the best teammate, be a student and observe the game," George told the Los Angeles News Group. "Being out, you have to take it as a positive and sit back and learn."
Bryant said he wanted to share his own experiences dealing with injuries with George in order to help him prepare for what he has to go through.
"Having been through these types of situations myself, I wanted him to know if he needed some advice on how I tried to work on my game, even though I wasn't playing, to give me a call," Bryant said via ESPN. "I'd like to talk to him a little bit."
George and Bryant crossed paths when the Pacers (8-17) hosted the Lakers (8-17) at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Monday. The Pacers won the game 110-91, but the season has been a struggle for both teams.
George added that there wasn't a chance he was going to L.A. when he was a free agent recently though there were some who thought he'd fit well there.
"I want to write my own chapter and be a player to come into my own," George said. "As great it would be to team up with a guy like Kobe, he's still built his legacy and has paved the way for himself. I want to do the same thing he did with sticking with one franchise and riding it out."
Bryant's two-year extension expires following next season and there has been a lot of speculation that he'll retire once it ends. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak also said he believes that 2016 will be the end of the road for the five-time NBA champion.
The Lakers host the Pacers in the next meeting between these teams on Jan. 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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