LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant Opts Not to Have Surgery

Kobe Bryant has opted not to have surgery on his injured hand, because the recovery will take too long, according to reports on Wednesday.

Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star, has played with damaged ligaments in the right pinkie finger since February, but announced on his website that he will not undergo surgery on it.

"When the doctors told me recovery from a procedure could be 12 weeks, I just decided now was not the time to have surgery," Bryant said on the Web site kb24.com. "What it really came down to for me is that I just didn't want to miss any time 'punching the clock' for the Lakers, given all we are trying to accomplish as a team this NBA season."

Bryant averaged 28.3 points while playing in all 82 games despite injuring the finger Feb. 5 against the New Jersey Nets. Bryant put off the surgery until after the Beijing Olympics, where he helped lead the United States to the gold medal.

The Lakers organization was prepared for Bryant to miss all or some of training camp, thinking that Bryant would indeed miss it due to recovery from the surgery.

In the past, coach Phil Jackson asked for less of a load from Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen after they returned from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls. The same allowances are expected for Bryant and Spanish national team member Pau Gasol.

The Lakers open training camp Sept. 27 and start the regular season at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 28.

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