Kobe Bryant is the toughest player in history

[yabbadabba]

Name another player who could play the game with a severed tendon in his shooting hand, compound that with an injured back. Jordan once played a game with a head cold, but come on that is nothing compared to a broken hand. Kobe is truly a player who makes other better, it is a privilege to watch this man play. He is a once in a lifetime player, enjoy him because there is no other like him.

[Chubby Chaser]

Agreed.

[HarlemHeat37]

he's the Lakers best player..he's the best player in the NBA..of course he's going to play in a game 5 where his team is tied 2-2 and need him..it's also the 1st time he's passed the 1st round in a minute, so he's obviously eager to get back to the promise land..why would he sit out?..

I once played basketball with sore balls, and I wasn't getting paid millions..am I a hero too?..

[Rasheeed!!!]

didn't Eric Snow play on a fractured foot in a playoff game against Milwaukee?

[kooldude]

Jordan played with broken ribs but never made it public because that would give his defenders a target.

[PaintPatrol]

Sorry

[HarlemHeat37]

Jordan played with broken ribs but never made it public because that would give his defenders a target.

this is what I liked about the NBA back then..if you had an injury, the other team would exploit it..it doesn't have to be anything major, but just a few subtle shots to the injured part of the player in question..punish them for playing hurt and punish them for being that talented..

like I said in the Lakers-Jazz thread..if Kobe was playing vs. the Spurs, I'm sure Bruce would have kneed him in the back a few times, or Horry would have threw him into the announce table..

you have to take every advantage you can get..

[tracey_nice]

he's the Lakers best player..he's the best player in the NBA

what???

[farzi]

IBTL

[Kobay]

When he hurt his finger he hurt the team by playing in that game even tho we won (against the nets). But after getting it taped right and rehab he was godly just efficient scoring after another pounding weak eastern teams on the road trip. I expected the same from kobe tonight. Get treatment and be back on his game.

[panacea]

Think AI'd have something to say about that....but okay.

[NO-KG-AI]

Isiah's ankle injury game >you and your lame thread.

[HarlemHeat37]

Isiah's ankle game is just amazing..I've played basketball on a severely sprained ankle and I literally couldn't even move after it happened..my mind told me to move, but I couldn't actually when I wanted to..of course trying this made my ankle worse..

[Sedale Threatt]

Name another player who could play the game with a severed tendon in his shooting hand, compound that with an injured back. Jordan once played a game with a head cold, but come on that is nothing compared to a broken hand. Kobe is truly a player who makes other better, it is a privilege to watch this man play. He is a once in a lifetime player, enjoy him because there is no other like him.

Jordan had an epic case of food poisoning, not some rinky-dink head cold. If you've ever had the same, you'd know how difficult it was for him just to get out of bed, let alone drop 38 points, including the game-winning 3, in an NBA Finals game. Show some respect.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/s ... moments/79

[NO-KG-AI]

I sprained my ankle pretty bad a while back, and the swelling was so bad, I couldnt barely get my shoe back on.

I've also had food poisoning, and I was down for about a week.

I had a back ache muscle pulled, but never spasms or strains, so I really can't comment on that, but playing on the other two seems far worse, and I can't even imagine walking for prolonged periods of time on the food poisoning.

[HarlemHeat37]

same here..

I got food poisoning in Mexico when I was on vacation back in March..luckily it was my last night there, but I had to go through customs, airport security and all that wait at the airport and on the plane while suffering through it..just a terrible experience..

I've sprained my ankles 4 times..only one of them was severe, and I couldn't even walk..

going through what these NBA players have went through makes you appreciate the performances much more..

[Bgil]

-= original quote snipped =-



Jordan had an epic case of food poisoning, not some rinky-dink head cold. If you've ever had the same, you'd know how difficult it was for him just to get out of bed, let alone drop 38 points, including the game-winning 3, in an NBA Finals game. Show some respect.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/s ... moments/79

Kobe played through food poising in the 2002 series vs the Queens. He lost 12 lbs between games.

The back thing is super crazy but he's played through worse. In 2004 he separated his shoulder and only missed two games (although I think he was supposed to miss 4+ weeks). He came back with a massive pad strapped to his shoulder, shot tons of shots left handed, and locked down T-Mac in his comeback game.
Combine that with the traveling to court and playing on the same day. During the Spurs series he came up clutch late in a game (when the Spurs were doubling him on every touch) and ended up passing out before he could make it too his locker.

I think Phil Jackson said Kobe has the highest pain tolerance of any one he's ever seen. Might have been Gary Vitti (Lakers trainer) though.

[Sedale Threatt]

-= original quote snipped =-
Kobe played through food poising in the 2002 series vs the Queens. He lost 12 lbs between games.

The back thing is super crazy but he's played through worse. In 2004 he separated his shoulder and only missed two games (although I think he was supposed to miss 4+ weeks). He came back with a massive pad strapped to his shoulder, shot tons of shots left handed, and locked down T-Mac in his comeback game.
Combine that with the traveling to court and playing on the same day. During the Spurs series he came up clutch late in a game (when the Spurs were doubling him on every touch) and ended up passing out before he could make it too his locker.

I think Phil Jackson said Kobe has the highest pain tolerance of any one he's ever seen. Might have been Gary Vitti (Lakers trainer) though.

No doubt, Kobe is a tough, tough SOB who plays to win. That much has never been in question. I just retched when the OP said Jordan played with a "head cold." Way to disrespect the greatest player of all time at his absolute best.

I've had one case of food poisoning, and by the end I'd lost about 15 pounds and my crap was purple. Yes, purple. I vividly remember this, because I finally forced myself to go to the hospital, where they gave me two IVs, on the night Reggie Miller dropped 25 in the fourth quarter against the Knicks. I had planned to write a term paper while watching the game, and I literally couldn't lift my hands to the keyboard to type.

Considering what Jordan did under roughly the same circumstances, that is easily the most impressive performance I've ever seen from a professional athlete. That shot of him sinking into Pippen's arms after putting the final nail in the coffin is an NBA classic. And some people still think he was faking it...

EDIT -- One thing I don't give Kobe credit for is playing on the same day he made court appearances. He did that to himself by making a poor decision off the court, whatever that decision might have been. Under those circumstances, I felt like he owed the fans.

[Turisas]

I remember when Spree was a Knick he played in a playoffs game with a broken foot. Kobe is definitely tough but the toughest in history? GTFOH

[Jordan23Forever]

Name another player who could play the game with a severed tendon in his shooting hand, compound that with an injured back. Jordan once played a game with a head cold, but come on that is nothing compared to a broken hand. Kobe is truly a player who makes other better, it is a privilege to watch this man play. He is a once in a lifetime player, enjoy him because there is no other like him.

LOL @ mentioning Jordan's name in this post. Kobe fans...

Jordan played with a severed tendon in his shooting hand (1998) as well as numerous other injuries throughout the years including broken ribs (as reported by Sam Smith, not one known for trying to make MJ look good). You don't play like 10 full (82 game) seasons and 12 seasons of 80+ games without playing through some bad injuries.

Hell, look at a guy like Iverson, even. Or Stockton. Kobe playing through pain is commendable, but your title (and your invocation of Jordan's name, acting as if all he ever played with was a head cold) is ludicrous.