Transcription
What happened on the play when you got hurt? Well, you know, first and foremost, I think officials really need to protect shooters. As defensive players, you can't—you can contest shots, but you can't walk underneath players. That's—it's dangerous for the shooter.
So, the defender walked under you? Did your ankle come down on his foot? Yeah. How does this compare to injuries you've had in the past? You Jalen Rose'd me. So, this is all going all the way back to the 2000 Finals. Y-their Lakers official word on this is severe ankle sprain, you're out indefinitely. What does that mean to you? I don't know. So, this is as bad of a sprain as you've had in 13 years? Yep. Is Friday in the realm of possibility? One, no. You got a pretty good pain threshold. I don't know.
At the end of the game, did you get the shot you wanted before he ran at you? Uh, yeah, yeah, that's my shot. Shot I'm very comfortable taking. But, you know, just can't go into any shooters, man. It's a dangerous play.
I saw you talking to the officials afterwards. When you brought that point up, what did they tell you? I didn't bring that point up, you know. I brought up the fact that, you know, um, he instructed Gary to come out there on the court. He came out there on the court, which then takes me out of the game permanently. I can't go back in. So, that was just a miscommunication. I was just having a conversation with the official about...
You—you struggled all first half, and in the third quarter you found something. What got you going in the third quarter? I think we were all struggling. I just tried to, try to, you know, um, will the ball in the basket, hopefully generate some energy for all of us. And it seemed to turn for us, and, uh, but then we all went cold again. It was just one of those nights, couldn't make a shot. Is that what determined it, in your opinion, in the fourth quarter? You guys just stopped making shots, or was there more to it than that? I mean, we did okay defensively in the second half, you know. We just—but we all miss, know, some wide open looks that, um, you know, we—we normally make.
How are you gonna—you know, you've—I've seen you stay up all night and put stim on an ankle. I've seen you, you know, you're—you're pretty, pretty rigorous when it comes to treatment. What's your plan for this one? Same old thing, same old thing. Just do what I have to do.
I don't think—I don't want to—I ever want to put that on somebody. I really don't. Um, I just think, you know, players need to be made conscious of it, and I think officials need to protect shooters, period. Kobe, elaborate on that. What do you mean? But I mean, you're a really good defender too. What does it mean, 'protect shooters'? Like, you can't—you don't—I'm always conscious of it when I go to contest shots. I'm always very conscious about making sure I don't walk underneath them. And, um, you—it's just a very, very dangerous play, especially, you know, if I'm fading away. I mean, just there's no rhyme or reason why I should come down anywhere near somebody's foot.
Is your—is your plan just now treatment and see what happens Friday? Would you—would you think about going home? How do you feel about what you do like tonight and tomorrow? I don't know. I can't get my mind past the fact that I got to wait a year to get revenge. So, you're—you're just going to play it day-to-day? Yep.