Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant insists his most recent knee injury is not related to a prior torn Achilles in the same leg or his dogged attempt to bounce back too quickly from it.
"I don't think one had anything to do with the other," Bryant told ESPN on Wednesday, just before watching his undermanned team's valiant effort fall short against the defending champion Heat in a 101-95 loss.
"We've evaluated it pretty extensively," he added. "The fact of the matter is any of us can get hurt at any moment and the key for us as an athlete is to block that fear out."
A somewhat defiant Bryant also told ESPN he has no plans of shutting it down for the year and added "I think I feel more locked in now than I've been my entire career because of this. The spirits are fine, the focus is great. Just going to see what happens when I come back."
The 35-year-old star is expected to miss up to six-weeks and said he "not aware" of any timetable or reason where he should more any more time than that. Bryant averaged 14 points, ,four rebounds and six assists on just 43 percent shooting in the six games he played in.
"It's the same old tune," he said of all his critics. "It's just being sung a little more loudly now. Those type of things just really help me lock in more than ever."
Despite posting their sixth straight victory, the Christmas Day win wasn't all fun and games for LeBron James.
"It's not as special when Kobe's not out there. Let's be honest," James told ESPN. "I love coming out and going up against one of the best. One of the greatest competitors we have going in our game. I've been hearing reports about people giving their stupid opinion about what he should do. He's not going to sit. That's not him. That's not in his nature. He's an alpha male. He's going to get healthy, and he's going to play the game that he loves and has been playing forever."
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