I was watching a jimmy fallon show that I taped from last week and Kobe was on it. His face looks all sucked in like his face is caving in. Also the knuckles on his right hand looked all lumpy. It almost seemed like he was consciously covering up his right hand. Has anybody else noticed his appearance lately? I know he missed last nights game reportedly because he was sick and a sprained ankle....but he looks like he really has something wrong with him.

It's called aging. And, in his case, there's also prolonged stress, wear and tear on the body.

Any recent photos?

i know this thread is useless without pics I wish i would of taken a picture of the tv. I was shocked at his appearance. I seen him during the allstar game and I think his appearance has really changed. I hope he is alright. I don't think basketball is that stressful to make him look that wore out. Shit Kobe is probaly in his early 30's.

Partly... wear and tear of the season...

Bryant made conscious decision to lose weight before the Olympics to keep stress off of his knees and kept the weight off. I had noticed last summer Bryant's face look thinner.

Scottie Pippen wrote an article for (if my memory serves me right) the Chicago Tribune on the physically toll a NBA season took on players bodies. He said, at some point you have to play through pain, stiffness, swelling and a multiple of nicks/knack injuries. Pippen wrote about the effort it took to get out of bed and at some point during the season you are constantly in pain and sore... it doesn't go away you have live and play through it. I never thought about the constant bumping, running, falling, and the up and down of the court of a NBA season strains the body. Unlike football, baseball and to some respects hockey NBA players don't get many days off in-between; its remarkable any of these men can play past 30 years of age.

^That's why they get paid the big bucks!

xpertluva said:

^That's why they get paid the big bucks!

That's very true but I never considered the physically toll so, Mr. Pippin's article was very informative.

It's called Lakers sucking