The Los Angeles Lakers provided an injury update on the superstar guard Tuesday night, saying Bryant will be out for at least three extra weeks before he is re-examined.
"[I'm] down about it," Bryant told the LA Times.
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Bryant was voted a starter in the All-Star game, which is in New Orleans on Feb. 16 — less than three weeks away. Bryant had previously said he hoped fans wouldn't vote for him, but the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history was elected to the game for the 16th straight time anyway.
Lakers team physician Steve Lombardo examined Bryant after he returned from the Lakers' two-week road trip for Tuesday's home game against Indiana, and the results apparently weren't encouraging.
"It's like an internal swelling," Bryant said. "It's different. It's not something that's kind of on the surface where you can pinpoint and feel the swelling around. It's deep in there."
Bryant broke a bone in his knee Dec. 17, just six games into his return from an eight-month recovery of his torn left Achilles tendon. The Lakers initially speculated he would be out for six weeks with his knee injury, but Bryant will be out much longer.
Bryant will continue with a program of light exercise, including time on a stationary bike. He has spoken openly of the difficulty of the rehabilitation and its slow pace.
"I'm ready to throw the bike in the damn pool right about now." he said. "But you do what you got to do."
Assuming Bryant is unable to play in the All-Star game, the NBA will pick his replacement on the West team. The West coach would pick a new starter.
Even before Bryant's latest update, the Lakers' injury situation was unremittingly daunting. Los Angeles had lost 16 of 19 heading into its visit from the NBA-leading Pacers.
"Just trying to be patient, trying to be calm, just trying to take it a day at a time," he said. "I've been through worse. The Achilles was much, much worse ... With the Achilles, I couldn't move at all. With this one, at least I can walk around a little bit, at least I can do the bike, do something active. Just trying to find the positive in it."
