Kobe Bryant's campaign was cut short for the third straight year with a season-ending injury, but Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott fully expects the five-time NBA champion to be back for his 20th season next year despite retirement rumors.
Bryant, who had his last two seasons cut short due to Achilles and knee injuries, underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder on Wednesday. The recovery time is expected to be nine months.
The 16-time All-Star is slated to make $25 million in the 2015-16 campaign, the final season on his two-year extension. Despite injury set-backs the last few years, Scott fully expects Bryant to return.
"In my mind right now, he's coming back next year, unless he tells me something different," Scott said, according to ESPN.
Bryant, 36, suffered the injury in last week's road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and it will cut his 19th NBA season short.
Bryant had taken steps to rest up by changing his routine and sitting out practices and games this season, but couldn't avoid the injury.
Scott said he spoke with Bryant Tuesday night ahead of his surgery.
"He didn't seem to be struggling at all. He was calling me to console me, which is Kobe," Scott said. "He's texting me, talking about, 'Are you OK?' He's the one going into surgery ... not me. But that's just him, and that's basically our relationship."
Scott said the rehab should be long and the injury is painful, but he's already thinking about how to implement him next year.
"For Kobe, play him at mid- to low-20s minute-wise," he said. "But I think the biggest thing with Kobe, as long as [the media are] saying that he's done, he's going to come back. I think he proved his point this year that he still has a lot left in the tank. He's still one of the best players in the league."
Bryant played in 35 of the Lakers 46 games this season, averaging 22.3 points per game.
It's been a forgettable season for Los Angeles as the team is 12-34 and sits in last place in the Pacific Division while riding a nine-game losing streak, its longest since 1994.
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