EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Kobe Bryant was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right pinkie finger Thursday and the Lakers All-Star has decided not to undergo surgery that could sideline him for six weeks.

The damage occurred when Bryant dislocated the finger at New Jersey on Feb. 5, and was aggravated in Wednesday night’s game at Minnesota.

The team said Thursday that the damage was more extensive than first believed. There is a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament and avulsion fracture, in which a small bone fragment had been pulled off by a tendon.

Bryant was examined in Los Angeles by Dr. Steven Shin, a hand specialist who recommended surgery to repair the ligament.

“My current thinking is to give my finger some treatment and rest for a few days, and hope I can still continue to compete at a high level after that rest,” Bryant said in statement.

“I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer’s Olympic Games. But this is an injury that myself and the Lakers medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis.”

It was unclear if Bryant will play in Sunday’s All-Game at New Orleans. But he will skip the 3-point shooting contest, with Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas replacing him.

NBA officials are still planning for Kobe Bryant to play in Sunday’s All-Star game after the Los Angeles Lakers announced that their star has decided to forgo surgery on his injured right pinkie.While Bryant has pulled out of the three-point contest, league officials said Thursday evening they expect the Western Conference’s leading vote-getter to play on Sunday in New Orleans.

Even if Bryant would prefer to skip the All-Star game to rest, he would have a difficult time convincing the league to give him a pass because he played Wednesday against Minnesota and, for now, hopes to also play in the Lakers’ game against Atlanta on Tuesday. One league official described it as “standard procedure” for a player to have to participate in the All-Star game if he played in his team’s games leading up to the break and isn’t definitely sidelined for subsequent games.

The Lakers announced Thursday that Bryant had been diagnosed with a complete tear of his radial collateral ligament and an avulsion fracture, in which a small fragment of bone had been pulled off by a tendon. The team said Bryant will try to play through the injury rather than have surgery, which could sideline him up to six weeks.

Bryant initially injured his pinkie on Feb. 5, at which time it was diagnosed as a dislocation. He aggravated the injury Wednesday night against the Timberwolves.

“My current thinking is to give my finger some treatment and rest for a few days, and hope I can still continue to compete at a high level after that rest,” Bryant said in a statement released by the team. “I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer’s Olympic Games. But, this is an injury that myself and the Lakers’ medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis.”

Dirk Nowitzki will replace Bryant in the three-point contest.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s finger is still bothering him, and the Lakers star was set to see a doctor in Los Angeles on Thursday to determine whether he’ll play in the All-Star game this weekend.

Bryant, who dislocated his right pinkie last week, scored 29 points in 35 minutes in Wednesday’s 117-92 win at Minnesota. Bryant sat out the fourth quarter and had the finger X-rayed after the game.

Coach Phil Jackson said he’d prefer Bryant not play in the All-Star game. Bryant said he’ll travel to New Orleans for the festivities, but he’s probably out for the 3-point contest and isn’t sure about suiting up for Sunday’s exhibition.

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By KEVIN DING - The Orange County Register

MINNEAPOLIS — The Lakers took the court for the ninth and final game of the longest continuous trip in their Los Angeles history with the giddiness of kids in the car antsy to reach their destination.

“Are we there yet?!?!”

They certainly are.

And just as Coach Phil Jackson, the father figure driving their family station wagon, always preaches, they enjoyed the journey, too. With a 117-92 cakewalk over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, the Lakers finished 7-2 — the best record in modern NBA history on a continuous trip of at least nine games.

“They can sense the fact we’re going to be a pretty good team now,” Jackson said of his players.

To borrow Lamar Odom’s favorite word, it was a “festive” capper in Minnesota, with Odom posting a triple-double: 10 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He spent the first 4:10 of the fourth quarter hunting that 10th assist. After four letdowns when teammates missed off his passes, Sasha Vujacic finally made a layup for Odom. Kobe Bryant sprang off the bench with an open-mouthed, sideways grin, waving a white towel over his head.

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Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky - LA Times

After Sunday’s win against the Heat, Isreal Gutierrez of the Miami Herald put together a column centered on where D-Wade needs to go in a post-Shaq world, using Kobe as the measuring stick. There were a few parts I think Fans o’ the Mamba will enjoy:

“Wade faced the player who has elevated himself and his teammates to the point where O’Neal is merely a pleasant Laker memory instead of a haunting reminder of a ghastly trade.

In 42 minutes of the Lakers’ 104-94 defeat of the Heat on Sunday, Kobe Bryant guided in a handful of those demoralizing fade-away jumpers that reminded you of Michael Jordan. He played relentless, suffocating defense reminiscent of Scottie Pippen, practically handcuffing Wade at times. He even threw in a graceful running hook shot from 15 feet that made you swear that was Magic Johnson in a Lakers uniform again (Magic was actually in the stands watching the display for himself.)”

Later in the column, Gutierrez hits on a theme that, at least as far as Kobe’s chase for his first MVP goes, could be more important:

“For as much as people mock Bryant for being so obsessive about the game, and how he so obviously attempts to mimic Jordan, he has come the closest to perfecting the game.

Since O’Neal left his painted area, Bryant has not only sharpened his offensive game but finally acquired the team mentality that was missing while he was so desperately trying to prove himself as the league’s best talent.”

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