How Long Will Kobe Bryant's Torn Ligament Keep Him From Playing?

Long enough to miss Sunday's All-Star Game, or at least that's what the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that Kobe Bryant gets clearance from the league to miss Sunday's All-Star Game in New Orleans after announcing Thursday that Bryant has a torn ligament in his right pinkie.

But Bryant doesn't yet have that clearance.....and may not get it.

A league official confirmed Thursday night that the NBA is not looking for potential replacements to fill Bryant's spot on the Western Conference squad. That's because the league office still expects Bryant to start and play for the West, even if it's only for a brief cameo, after he played for the Lakers all the way through to their final game before the All-Star break Wednesday in Minnesota.

Bryant 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.

The Lakers, according to team sources, are trying to convince the league that Bryant should be excused after a visit Thursday to hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin revealed a ligament tear. Bryant is expected to make that plea personally once he arrives in New Orleans on Friday after Shin recommend that Bryant undergo surgery that would likely sideline him for six weeks.

Bryant also announced in a statement Thursday that he will bypass the surgery recommendation to try to play through the injury, as he did for much of a nine-game, 15-day road trip that the Lakers -- already missing injured center Andrew Bynum -- just completed with a sparkling 7-2 record.

He has been replaced in Saturday's Long Distance Shootout by Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, but the NBA's longstanding policy on these matters would require Bryant to take some part Sunday because he did play Wednesday and since he's planning to play Tuesday against Atlanta in the Lakers' first game after the break.

That makes sense, and yet it doesn't. Though it may be disrespectful to fans and other players, he has a right to rest in what is ultimately a meaningless game of fun. However, if Kobe did play his final game before the All-Star game and he will play his first game after the All-Star game, then technically he is saying he is healthy enough to participate in any games inbetween those two.

Kevin Garnett May Miss The 2008 All Star Game And Counting

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett missed his seventh consecutive game Sunday, and coach Doc Rivers said he might miss the next two games and, "I don't see him playing in the All-Star Game, either."

Garnett

"We don't know that yet," Rivers said, adding that he hadn't talked about it with Garnett but would try to discuss it Sunday night or Monday. "I just don't see that happening."

Garnett has been out for two weeks since straining a stomach muscle against the Timberwolves in Boston. The Celtics went 4-2 in their first six games without him, and they still have the best record in the NBA. However, that's only because their first 30 games were golden.

Garnett was the leading vote-getter for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in New Orleans. But Rivers said before Garnett did not dress for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs that he would probably not play Tuesday or Wednesday, in Boston's last two games before the break.

I don't mean to be critical of the Celtics, but ever since the Celtics played Charlotte on Jan 9th, they've gone for a record of 10-6. While that's still good, its no where close to the progress they were making at the beginning of the season during their first 30 games. One can notice an obvious difference in the Celtics with Garnett's absence. That is, they aren't as good and quite beatable.

Rosters For The 2008 NBA All-Star Game Has Been Revealed

2008 NBA All-Stars
Rosters for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, to be played Feb 17 in New Orleans. (x-starter; reserves were named Thursday):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Player, Pos.	Team
Chauncey Billups, G	Detroit
Chris Bosh, F	Toronto
Caron Butler, G	Washington
x-Kevin Garnett, F	Boston
Richard Hamilton, G	Detroit
x-Dwight Howard, F	Orlando
x-LeBron James, F	Cleveland
Antawn Jamison, F	Washington
Joe Johnson, G	Atlanta
x-Jason Kidd, G	New Jersey
Paul Pierce, F	Boston
x-Dwyane Wade, G	Miami
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Player	Team
x-Carmelo Anthony, F	Denver
Carlos Boozer, F	Utah
x-Kobe Bryant, G	LA Lakers
x-Tim Duncan, F	San Antonio
x-Allen Iverson, G	Denver
x-Yao Ming, C	Houston
Steve Nash, G	Phoenix
Dirk Nowitzki, F	Dallas
Chris Paul, G	New Orleans
Brandon Roy, G	Portland
Amare Stoudemire, F	Phoenix
David West, F	New Orleans

--Chris Paul and David West were picked for their first All-Star Game Thursday night, giving the hometown Hornets a pair of players for the event New Orleans will host next month.

--Boston will only send two of its Big Three to the Big Easy. Paul Pierce was voted in by Eastern Conference head coaches to join starter Kevin Garnett, but Ray Allen fell short.

--The Pistons' Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton are headed back for the third straight year.

--Toronto's Chris Bosh and Atlanta guard Joe Johnson were the other players picked for the East, which will be coached by Boston's Doc Rivers. Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, the reigning NBA MVP, Utah's Carlos Boozer and Portland guard Brandon Roy were selected from the West.

--Missing out during the worst season of his career was Shaquille O'Neal, ending his streak of 14 consecutive All-Star selections. That tied the record held by Jerry West and Karl Malone.

--Garnett, LeBron James, Orlando's Dwight Howard, New Jersey's Jason Kidd and Miami's Dwyane Wade were voted by fans to start for the East. The West starters are Denver's Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, San Antonio forward Tim Duncan and Houston center Yao Ming.

--Predictions?? Well, from looking at these rosters, I really would have a hard time if I had to bet on this game. The Eastern and Western rosters are fully stacked with the top guys, but the combination of Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade, Paul Pierce, and Jason Kidd provide the speed, passing, and scoring edge over the Western players. For years I've heard the Western Conference has always been better. That statement doesn't have much weight to it anymore.