Mike Brown Not Sure if Kobe Bryant Will Miss Season Opener

Kobe Bryant isn’t active for the final two preseason games. And according to Lakers head coach Mike Brown, Bryant could also sit out the season opener if his right foot doesn’t quickly heal. From ESPN: “I don’t know if he’ll be ready,’ Brown said after the Lakers 97-91 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. ‘So yeah, I guess there is question. I’m just going to wait for [Lakers trainer] Gary Vitti to tell me he can play because there’s nothing I can do about it until they release him anyway.’ Bryant sat out of Wednesday’s game and has already been ruled out of Thursday’s exhibition finale in San Diego against the Sacramento Kings. According to a team spokesman, he spent most of Wednesday’s game getting treatment on his foot in the training room, and did not come out to the Lakers bench during the game. Bryant’s injury is classified as a strain, and the team is officially saying he is out indefinitely. However, Bryant reported some improvement in his foot to team officials prior to Wednesday’s shootaround. A 17-year veteran, Bryant missed several practices earlier in training camp because of discomfort in the same right foot. However sources said that this injury is a different injury, in a different place on his right foot, and is considerably more painful. Bryant was injured this time when he tripped over Thomas Robinson’s foot in the third quarter of Sunday’s 99-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings.”