Bryant Expects to Play Thursday

Kobe’s knee seems to be just fine…

A night of tension regarding Bryant’s knee hyperextension Tuesday night in San Diego rendered positive reports after Wednesday’s practice.

Lakers spokesman John Black said that the original diagnosis by the Lakers’ training staff of a hyperextended knee was accurate, adding that there are no plans for Bryant to see a doctor. Bryant did not practice on Wednesday in favor of receiving treatment, and Phil Jackson noted that while Kobe is “a little sore,” Bryant “expects to play tomorrow” against Charlotte in Anaheim.

Bryant addressed the media himself after Jackson was done; click here to watch the video or look below for the audio.

Here are some of the major points covered by Bryant:

He’s used to getting injured, but it’s the minor ones that worry him because little tweaks can sometimes wind up being serious. Kobe was concerned last night but it “feels OK” right now.

On whether he’ll play tomorrow: “If I’m good to go, I’ll go. I don’t see why not.” Bryant added that he “should be fine” for the opener, not seeming concerned at all.

Bryant said the scariest part was doing tests for areas of the knee like the ACL, but fortunately, there was no soreness in that movement.

He’s very relieved.

He wasn’t convinced he was going to be OK until this morning, when there was no swelling and the movement was pretty good. He’s putting weight and pressure on it already.

Bryant didn’t sleep much last night, opting to get up every once in a while to stretch out and test his knee.