Injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant does not plan to sit out the rest of the season no matter how poorly the Lakers perform in the standings, saying his injured left knee will be re-evaluated in early February.
"The only thing I can afford to consider is getting better, getting stronger," Bryant told ESPN.com before the Lakers played the archrival Boston Celtics on Friday. He continued: "I can't allow myself to think any other way. I can only think about the next step. To do anything else becomes distracting if you allow yourself, if you give yourself wiggle room to not push yourself as hard as you possibly can. To think about sitting out and this, that and the other, your motivation is all wrong. I refuse to think that way."
Bryant's statements come in the wake of Lakers legend Magic Johnson's recent comments about Kobe sitting out the rest of the season as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
"What is he coming back to? He's not going to be able to stop the pick and roll, all the layups the Lakers are giving up," Johnson told the newspaper. "He's been hurt twice, give him the whole year to get healthy."
Bryant said that the plan to re-evaluate his knee on January 27 has been pushed back to February. "We'll see where it's at in February and see if it's good to go," Bryant said.
Asked about the Lakers record, Bryant said: "I don't think about that, man. It's my job to be ready. It's my job to get myself in gear and do my job."
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