# Kobe's pinkie requires surgery; Would be out 6 weeks?



## compsciguy78 (Dec 16, 2002)

If he decides to do the surgery, which everybody is reporting he won't until after the olympics, he will be out 6 weeks.

It might be better to fix the finger and then get Bynum and Kobe back before the playoffs, if we make them without him.


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

He's skipping 3-point shootout. Might as well skipped ASG, too


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## ceejaynj (Oct 9, 2005)

Great...just great. Another possible major injury. Seems almost everyone has been hit this season...everyone but our towel boy.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

yeah this sucks, but what can you say..


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## Showtime87 (Jun 27, 2005)

Kobe missing six weeks would be disastrous, but I don't see him opting for surgery during the season. He'll do whatever he has to do to get through it.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

He's decided not to get surgery, and I think he'll be fine. If he sits out 6 weeks, we could very well miss the playoffs, and he's not going to let that happen.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

I don't think he's going to be fine if he doesn't get the surgery. His shot will be way off, and most likely will have to mostly be the facilitator.


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## Darth Bryant (Feb 1, 2005)

Eternal said:


> I don't think he's going to be fine if he doesn't get the surgery. His shot will be way off, and most likely will have to mostly be the facilitator.


Ack.

I fear I agree with you... I know this wont happen.. But I'd almost rather let him miss the games we have a chance of winning without him.. (Bobcats, etc). And have him play only in the games were it's deemed 100 percent needed to win. His shot has been pretty horrific since the injury. But he has been taking it to the hole stronger.

Honestly, he's going to have to make sure he takes it to the rack most times he decides to score. 

And we need to hope Bynums close to getting back, so he can take up some of the scoring slack.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

isn't this the same injury that radmanovic had last year? and his shooting was pretty off..

then again, he's no kobe.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

CDRacingZX6R said:


> Ack.
> 
> I fear I agree with you... I know this wont happen.. But I'd almost rather let him miss the games we have a chance of winning without him.. (Bobcats, etc). And have him play only in the games were it's deemed 100 percent needed to win. His shot has been pretty horrific since the injury. But he has been taking it to the hole stronger.
> 
> ...


The problem with him though taking it to the rack more, is he's more vulnerable to getting that pinky injured even more. I mean it can't feel good dunking with it.


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## The One (Jul 10, 2005)

CDRacingZX6R said:


> Ack.
> 
> I fear I agree with you... I know this wont happen.. But I'd almost rather let him miss the games we have a chance of winning without him.. (Bobcats, etc). And have him play only in the games were it's deemed 100 percent needed to win.


It would be nice if the situation was just Kobe's efficiency. We have to remember that the Lakers will be playing without bynum for 3 of those six week and all it will take is a four game losing streak and they will be out of the playoffs!. The lakers will not be a bad team without Kobe but they will have to be more than a decent team to stay in the playoff hunt. Kobe knows that and that's we he wants to beat it out.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

> 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.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=jy-bryantallstar021408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

If Kobe can't be close to top of his game though, it's just better to get the surgery and hope for the best as far as the team goes. It would be better to do it sooner rather then later, as the time he will be using to try and undergo treatments to make it feel better, he could be using this time to recover from the surgery.

It's not like we would likely win the title this year if Kobe's pinky isn't feeling better by playoff time anyways.

This way it will heal the proper way and he will be ready come Olympics time, and the team may still be playoff contenders. It's not like we have a very tough schedule left.


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## compsciguy78 (Dec 16, 2002)

^^^I agree

If Kobe's game is off, we aren't going anywhere anyways. 

Its better to get the surgery and hope he can make it back in time for the playoffs, if we make it.

Imagine we make it to the playoffs and Kobe can't shoot a lick. We aren't going to win anything that way.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

We're dead if he misses 6 weeks plain and simple. We are 1.5 games out of 1st in the West and about 3 games or so outta 8th place. How in the hell will we survive without him all that time. 

He has to play through even through some bad shooting games and hits to the finger.

Best case scenario,Bynum and Ariza come back healthy Kobe takes alittle lesser role to finish the season maybe even missing some games if Bynum gets rolling again and get ready to crank it up for the playoffs.

I think even if he pushes it and has surgery and misses only 4 weeks we're done.

He has to soldier on and suck it up. Kobe's one of the toughest players in the league, if there's no risk to the finger becoming unhinged and popping off his body he needs to push it.


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

compsciguy78 said:


> ^^^I agree
> 
> If Kobe's game is off, we aren't going anywhere anyways.
> 
> ...


Come on now you think suddenly his shooting is gonna go completely in the tank say drop into the 20's % every night. I think not.

He may not have those red hot shooting nights but he'll manufacture some buckets.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

If there's one thing I know about Kobe, it's that he'll learn ho to play with the torn ligament in his pinky. He'll be fine.


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## TakaraJinRoh (Nov 27, 2007)

Eternal said:


> If Kobe can't be close to top of his game though, it's just better to get the surgery and hope for the best as far as the team goes. It would be better to do it sooner rather then later, as the time he will be using to try and undergo treatments to make it feel better, he could be using this time to recover from the surgery.
> 
> *It's not like we would likely win the title this year if Kobe's pinky isn't feeling better by playoff time anyways.*
> 
> This way it will heal the proper way and he will be ready come Olympics time, and the team may still be playoff contenders. It's not like we have a very tough schedule left.


Well its not like the Lakers are guaranteed a playoff spot without Kobe too.


Golden State, Utah and Houston are all catching fire. I expect them to maintain that pace after the AS break as well. Even Portland can make a run for the playoffs, they are only facing 7 teams with winning record in their next 22 games. So what good is a fully healed Kobe if the Lakers will not even participate in the playoffs to begin with?



It would be a different story if Bynum is playing, but he's not so the Lakers cannot afford a slide in a very tough and competitive Western Conference.


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

I don't know what everyone is concerned about, there's no possible way of knowing whether this will slow him down. We already know he can shoot _above_ his career averages with a torn pinky finger, he just did it during the road trip since injuring it vs. the Nets. 

It's impossible to know what the best course of action is until we see how he progresses through the next few weeks. If he's able to avoid significant contact/stress there over the next 3-4 weeks, he could very well be in the clear, as by then perhaps enough healing will have taken place by that point that a hit or two to that area won't reaggravate it back to square one. He has always been a fast healer so I'm not too worried. And luckily it's his pinky and not a thumb or something vital to his shooting.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

TakaraJinRoh said:


> Well its not like the Lakers are guaranteed a playoff spot without Kobe too.
> 
> 
> Golden State, Utah and Houston are all catching fire. I expect them to maintain that pace after the AS break as well. Even Portland can make a run for the playoffs, they are only facing 7 teams with winning record in their next 22 games. So what good is a fully healed Kobe if the Lakers will not even participate in the playoffs to begin with?
> ...


Read my last sentence.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

EHL said:


> I don't know what everyone is concerned about, there's no possible way of knowing whether this will slow him down. We already know he can shoot _above_ his career averages with a torn pinky finger, he just did it during the road trip since injuring it vs. the Nets.
> 
> It's impossible to know what the best course of action is until we see how he progresses through the next few weeks. If he's able to avoid significant contact/stress there over the next 3-4 weeks, he could very well be in the clear, as by then perhaps enough healing will have taken place by that point that a hit or two to that area won't reaggravate it back to square one. He has always been a fast healer so I'm not too worried. And luckily it's his pinky and not a thumb or something vital to his shooting.


The pinky is pretty vital to your shooting IMO. Your right time will tell, and let's hope everything will turn out fine. I just have a bad feeling it won't.


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## Plastic Man (Nov 8, 2004)

jazzy1 said:


> Come on now you think suddenly his shooting is gonna go completely in the tank say drop into the 20's % every night. I think not.
> 
> He may not have those red hot shooting nights but he'll manufacture some buckets.


Pretty much on point. If we take out the nights vs NJ and Atlanta where he was obviously in pain, he's been shooting 49% from the field and *96%* from the free throw line in the last 4 games. Even if we facture those two really horrible outings, he's at 41%, which is bad, but still not the end of the world.

However, I think I do agree with the ones who are saying that he should just get surgery now, because what if he even further aggravates it and it will take a lot more time to heal when he decides to go into procedure? (although I can't imagine a pinky can take more thatn 2 months to heal 

But at the end, I'm pretty sure neither Bryant nor the Lakers organization would let him play with an injury that could jeopardize his overall health. Not at the expense of a 6 week absence and perhaps a lower seed. So I think he knows best. If he decides to play through the injury, it's not bothering him to a significant extent. If he does indeed decide for surgery, he'll be back 12 games before the season is over (having missed "only" 18 games). That doesn't sound that bad, considering it's 6 weeks. Bynum has already missed 16 or 17 and it's only been a month.

Either way, this is pretty depressing. Out of all the injuries a person can sustain, one of the most meaningless and useless fingers will cause trouble now. It's not like it's a thumb, which assumes 50% of the workload of the human hand and is of far greater importance. A ****ing pinky?! ****!

I was hoping to see him in the ASG, because it's one of the rare events that are televised here, and I can watch comfortably infront of a plasma, but now I hope he does not play.

Here's to a speedy recovery.:cheers:

peace


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

jazzy1 said:


> We're dead if he misses 6 weeks plain and simple. We are 1.5 games out of 1st in the West and about 3 games or so outta 8th place. How in the hell will we survive without him all that time.
> 
> He has to play through even through some bad shooting games and hits to the finger.
> 
> ...


Agreed. People don't realize how tightly bunched everyone is in the West. One nasty losing streak and it's over. And I would prefer he get the surgery before the Olympics and rest more this summer than the last.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

if he needs surgery, then there's probably no point in taking a few games off.


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## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Jesum Crow...this sucks. We could afford to sit him for 6-7 games if we had Bynum, but...oh wait, he's still out for another 3 weeks.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

we could sit him out if we had bynum (but more importantly played good D)


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

I say he should play. The West is so close that any kind of losing streak could take us out of the playoffs completely. Our fist rounder this year goes to Memphis if im not mistaken, so it would basically be just a wasted year. I think this Laker team with a healthy Bynum and Kobe at 85% is still good enough to make a push at the championship. If we had that 1st rounder this year then maybe id consider having Kobe do the surgery because then at least wed have a lotto pick as consolation for a wasted season. And also that would mean that the Spurs, Mavs and Suns are one year older. but that pick is gone so i say let him play. Hes proven that he can be efficient with the injured pinky.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

i think you're overestimating the lakers.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Judging by the way everyone in the league started making trades after we acquired Pau, i think the rest of the leagues GM are overestimating us as well. This injury just means that the rest of the team is gonna have to step up and play harder. With the kind of talent we have on this team, i think it shouldnt be a problem.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

those teams made those trades knowing that kobe's finger wasn't banged up. 

the overestimating part is where we can get to the finals with our guys at 85%. it's simply too tough out in the west.

if kobe's ineffective, we really have no wing play who can start the offense. we'd really have to become a good defensive team.


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## TakaraJinRoh (Nov 27, 2007)

Eternal said:


> Read my last sentence.


I read the last sentence.


And suggesting or implying that Kobe should prep for the olympics instead over the team that matters the most is insane. His injury is not even that big to begin with, he's played in worst condition.


Kobe would not choose a gold medal over a championship ring, given the circumstances. After his offseason tirade, its pretty clear he wants to win now.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

afobisme said:


> those teams made those trades knowing that kobe's finger wasn't banged up.
> 
> the overestimating part is where we can get to the finals with our guys at 85%. it's simply too tough out in the west.
> 
> if kobe's ineffective, we really have no wing play who can start the offense. we'd really have to become a good defensive team.


I think we can get to the finals with KOBE at 85%. Hes proven that he can be effective at 85% over the last couple of games. Now if Bynum doesnt come back at full strength and more injuries take there toll on this team then that changes the whole thing. If the rest of the guys on the squad are at 100% and Kobe is at 85% i still think we can make a deep run and if the Cavs from last year have taught us anything, its that with a little luck, you can find yourself in the finals. The rest of the guys are gonna have to step up to make up for whatever Kobe cant do ( and judging by Kobe's play the last few games, isnt gonna be much) but i think we have the talent and the depth to do that this year when we are healthy.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

cavs were in the east, lakers are in the west. you can't count on too much luck out here. 

i don't know if kobe's finger brings him down to 85% too. realistically it might make him nearly useless with shooting.. and that's not near 100%.

our title chances have been hurt this year, but that's okay to me. we'll have a good 4 or 5 seasons if things work out well.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

afobisme said:


> cavs were in the east, lakers are in the west. you can't count on too much luck out here.
> 
> i don't know if kobe's finger brings him down to 85% too. realistically it might make him nearly useless with shooting.. and that's not near 100%.
> 
> our title chances have been hurt this year, but that's okay to me. we'll have a good 4 or 5 seasons if things work out well.


it SHOULD make him useless shooting, but will it?? Hes been averaging something like 30ppg on 48% shooting since he hurt the hand.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

he tore his ligament against minnesota, which was the last game.

he had an x-ray after the nets game, and it wasn't anything serious. so don't take into account those games where he averaged a lot of points.

and if you want to play numbers, here is what he has averaged since the nets game (including that nets game):

24.3 PPG (146 points total)
42% (44/105)

so that 48% shooting and close to 30 ppg is a made up number... and that's only if you disregard that he had his ligament torn against minnesota.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

afobisme said:


> he tore his ligament against minnesota, which was the last game.
> 
> he had an x-ray after the nets game, and it wasn't anything serious. so don't take into account those games where he averaged a lot of points.






> 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.


http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7796310?MSNHPHMA


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

exactly, he dislocated his finger against the nets, and then tore the ligament against minnesota.

this is the report from espn before we played minny



> Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers: Don't worry, the finger isn't going to cost him any time. Kobe dislocated the pinkie on his right (shooting) hand Monday in the first quarter against the Nets. His shooting has been awful since then. He has shot a combined 7-of-29 in his past two games. *The Los Angeles Times reported that X-rays came back negative*. The paper also said, to no great surprise, that Kobe is struggling with having just three flexible fingers as his pinkie is being taped to his ring finger.


there's probably a big difference between a dislocation and a torn ligament.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

I interpreted that statment as saying the damage was done during the Nets game and they found out the damage was more extensive during the Minne game. and the LA Times put it this way...



> Bryant initially hurt his finger Feb. 5 in a game against New Jersey. The injury was originally listed as a dislocated pinkie, although further damage was revealed Thursday, including a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament and an avulsion fracture, in which a small fragment of bone was pulled off by a tendon


but were not gonna be able to figure out how serious is it until he gets back.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

afobisme said:


> he tore his ligament against minnesota, which was the last game.
> 
> he had an x-ray after the nets game, and it wasn't anything serious. so don't take into account those games where he averaged a lot of points.
> 
> ...


No they DISCOVERED the ligament damage against Minnesota. An X ray wont show ligament damage. You have to get an MRI to find that. And you have to keep in mind that he had that horrible game against Atlanta where the bad tape job came into play.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

well, at the very least then, kobe ripped off some of the bone on his pinky finger in the game against minnesota, because the x-rays were negative from new jersey. if it was that severe against minny, im thinking he probably tore his ligament against them too. 

the way i look at it is.. kobe injured his pinky vs. the nets. and then against the wolves he really f'd it up.

but yeah, i agree with you. only time will tell. we'll have to see how well kobe shoots on tuesday.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

afobisme said:


> well, at the very least then, kobe ripped off some of the bone on his pinky finger in the game against minnesota, because the x-rays were negative from new jersey. if it was that severe against minny, im thinking he probably tore his ligament against them too.
> 
> the way i look at it is.. kobe injured his pinky vs. the nets. and then against the wolves he really f'd it up.


Were not gonna be able to see how severe it is until he gets back. SO right now everything is up in the air. IMO they already knew how bad it was before the minne game and they are just releasing the extent of the damage now to get him out of the Allstar Game. They never said that he took an MRI and to my knowledge, you need and MRI to reveal ligament and tendon damage... Im thinking conspiracy! :azdaja:


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Kobe on ESPN right now. Seems to be in good spirits. Says hes been playing through the injury the last few games and theyve been able to keep a handle on it so hes confident that they can keep it up. Knows that with Bynum out and Pau still getting acclimated that they need him on the court to be successful. Remarked on the strength of the western conference. and joked about how when hes retired and its all said and done, he'll be able to be the "cool grandpa" that can bend his finger all the way down the side of his hand. He didnt really seem too worried about it.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

i thought he had the MRI yesterday in LA? that's when the info was revealed (last night)


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

afobisme said:


> i thought he had the MRI yesterday in LA? that's when the info was revealed (last night)


I guess he saw a specialist yesterday in LA.



> Bryant, who saw hand specialist Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Thursday, will try to play through the injury instead of having surgery. If he opted for surgery, he would face a six-week recovery process.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

TakaraJinRoh said:


> I read the last sentence.
> 
> 
> And suggesting or implying that Kobe should prep for the olympics instead over the team that matters the most is insane. His injury is not even that big to begin with, he's played in worst condition.
> ...


I was not implying go for the Gold rather then a championship. I was implying that he should have the surgery now, as the Olympics as just being one of the positives for having it. I believe this is going to be a huge problem for him shooting wise, but hopefully I'm very wrong on this. 

I do believe this team could make the playoffs still, if he does have the surgery, and then we could have a healthy Kobe come playoff time. Likely? No, but it is possible.

Just don't want Kobe to do permanent damage to his pinky, and risk it all because of one season. Sure we have a really good shot at the title, but we have more then just this one year ahead of us with this team. He could do permanent damage to his pinky, and have it messed up the rest of his career. I'd prefer him to wait on the surgery until after the season, but before the Olympics, but that is risking him to permanently damage that pinky.

We'll see how things work themselves out.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Really, all we can do from here on out is hope for the best. Kobe's made up his mind, and we're going to live with his decision, and I'm praying he's making the right choice. If there's one player in the league who I think can play through something like this, it's Kobe.


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## The One (Jul 10, 2005)

Basel57 said:


> If there's one player in the league who I think can play through something like this, it's Kobe.


And Iverson...didn't he dislocate and break his fingers several times?


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## Sean (Jun 7, 2002)

Kobe Interview on ESPN


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## TakaraJinRoh (Nov 27, 2007)

Eternal said:


> I was not implying go for the Gold rather then a championship. I was implying that he should have the surgery now, as the Olympics as just being one of the positives for having it. I believe this is going to be a huge problem for him shooting wise, but hopefully I'm very wrong on this.
> 
> I do believe this team could make the playoffs still, if he does have the surgery, and then we could have a healthy Kobe come playoff time. Likely? No, but it is possible.
> 
> Just don't want Kobe to do permanent damage to his pinky, and risk it all because of one season. Sure we have a really good shot at the title, but we have more then just this one year ahead of us with this team. He could do permanent damage to his pinky, and have it messed up the rest of his career. I'd prefer him to wait on the surgery until after the season, but before the Olympics, but that is risking him to permanently damage that pinky.


I understand your concern. You're in it for the longer run and thats reasonable. I dont believe they will make the playoffs though if Kobe misses 6 weeks. Winning 50 games in the West does not guarantee a Playoff spot. So they need Kobe for LA to finish strong.


But Kobe's recent quote affirmed what I felt all along. Kobe will not throw this season away. He'll man up and play through pain if he have to.



> Bryant also said it was the preference of Lakers owner Jerry Buss that he undergo the procedure now rather than wait.
> 
> “He’s concerned about my hand post-career and I appreciate that,” Bryant said. “But we want to (contend for a championship) now.”


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...slug=jy-kobeallstar021508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

TakaraJinRoh said:


> I understand your concern. You're in it for the longer run and thats reasonable. I dont believe they will make the playoffs though if Kobe misses 6 weeks. Winning 50 games in the West does not guarantee a Playoff spot. So they need Kobe for LA to finish strong.
> 
> 
> But Kobe's recent quote affirmed what I felt all along. Kobe will not throw this season away. He'll man up and play through pain if he have to.
> ...


Yeah I know Kobe is not a quitter, but I'm not sure that's such a smart thing to do at this point. This team looks to have a great future ahead, and if anything goes wrong here that he does something that can affect him for the next few seasons, this will be a huge mistake. It's not like we are going to win the title anyways with an 80% Kobe.

Just need to pray everything goes well, and he doesn't play against teams like the Spurs where Bowen will try and kick his pinky.


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

looks like hollinger agrees with eternal and eternal agrees with dannyM 



> Kobe needs knife nowposted: Friday, February 15, 2008 | Feedback | Print Entry
> 
> 
> I have some unsolicited advice for Kobe Bryant: Get the surgery.
> ...


http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blo...&name=hollinger_john&univLogin02=stateChanged


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

dannyM said:


> looks like hollinger agrees with eternal and eternal agrees with dannyM
> 
> 
> 
> http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blo...&name=hollinger_john&univLogin02=stateChanged


Hollinger seems to be right on IMO for the most part, and shares my thoughts exactly. Thanks for the link danny.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

I guess I'm with you guys in wanting Kobe to get the surgery after thinking about it. Something tells me that we would get all excited for next season and have the exact same injury woes leading to further agony for us fans. It's hard to look long term, but I guess it's the right thing to do. We'll see how Kobe does the next few games after the All-Star break.


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## The One (Jul 10, 2005)

> Kobe needs knife nowposted: Friday, February 15, 2008 | Feedback | Print Entry
> 
> 
> I have some unsolicited advice for Kobe Bryant: Get the surgery.
> ...


He based this article entirely on the thought that he will keep on reinjuring his finger throughout the season. While that may be true, the trick is to get the treament down to a science so that when it is reaggervated again they can treat it immedately. If pain is the only problem then the situation is definitely treatable. 

He is also assuming that they can win with a low seed. Winning an NBA tite his strongly based on how you finish the season and chemistry. It would be nice if paper matchups were absolute, which in that case the Lakers can beat anybody period, but it is not. The best example is the Spurs. When they win the championship it is because of how they get healthy right at the start of march and make that run for the playoffs. The only team that I can remember in the past 10 years that did not finish very strong and won the championship is the Miami team a couple of years ago. 

Kobe want's to win now while it is still possible for the rest of the team to be completely healthy a month before the playoffs start. We have already seen how we can't trust the Lakers to go relatively injury free for a whole season and I believe Kobe knows this and is seriously concerned about it - there is a good chance that Gasol gets injuried during the Olympics (which is why the Grizz traded him to begin with) and Odom, Ronny, Bynum, and Kobe himself getting injured next season costing them the championship again.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Bartholomew Hunt said:


> I guess I'm with you guys in wanting Kobe to get the surgery after thinking about it. Something tells me that we would get all excited for next season and have the exact same injury woes leading to further agony for us fans. It's hard to look long term, but I guess it's the right thing to do. We'll see how Kobe does the next few games after the All-Star break.


I agree it is hard for us fans to look long term.

That's one reason why I'm kinda dissapointed with Kobe not getting the surgery right away. He could be using the All-star break as days to recover from the surgery, and who knows Kobe is usually a fast healer and could come back sooner then the 6 weeks predicted. He would miss what, like 10-12 games if he had the surgery now and comes back sooner then expected? It's not like this team has to stay at .500 to make the playoffs. If they can go just a bit under we'd be fine, as alot of the teams now close to us are going to be playing each other alot after the all-star break.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

what? if we stay a bit under .500 we won't make the playoffs. i think it's something like 4 1/2 games that separate the 1st seed and the 8th seed.


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## The One (Jul 10, 2005)

Eternal said:


> I agree it is hard for us fans to look long term.
> 
> That's one reason why I'm kinda dissapointed with Kobe not getting the surgery right away. He could be using the All-star break as days to recover from the surgery, and who knows Kobe is usually a fast healer and could come back sooner then the 6 weeks predicted. He would miss what, like 10-12 games if he had the surgery now and comes back sooner then expected? It's not like this team has to stay at .500 to make the playoffs. If they can go just a bit under we'd be fine, as alot of the teams now close to us are going to be playing each other alot after the all-star break.


I still don't think you guys understand the point. The Plan Is To Win Now. THIS YEAR! Not next year or the year after. THIS YEAR!


The One said:


> Winning an NBA tite his strongly based on how you finish the season and chemistry. It would be nice if paper matchups were absolute, which in that case the Lakers can beat anybody period, but it is not. The best example is the Spurs. When they win the championship it is because of how they get healthy right at the start of march and make that run for the playoffs. The only team that I can remember in the past 10 years that did not finish very strong and won the championship is the Miami team a couple of years ago.
> 
> *Kobe want's to win now while it is still possible for the rest of the team to be completely healthy a month before the playoffs start. We have already seen how we can't trust the Lakers to go relatively injury free for a whole season and I believe Kobe knows this and is seriously concerned about it - there is a good chance that Gasol gets injuried during the Olympics (which is why the Grizz traded him to begin with) and Odom, Ronny, Bynum, and Kobe himself getting injured next season costing them the championship again*.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

afobisme said:


> what? if we stay a bit under .500 we won't make the playoffs. i think it's something like 4 1/2 games that separate the 1st seed and the 8th seed.


We most likely would. We'd be at the 50 win mark, and alot of the teams after the all-star break face each other, so their records will be going down as well, and things will start to even out.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

The One said:


> I still don't think you guys understand the point. The Plan Is To Win Now. THIS YEAR! Not next year or the year after. THIS YEAR!


The best chance for us to win this year would be for Kobe to get that surgery and hopes the team can still sneak into the playoffs. Sure chemistry etc. would be nice going in, but Kobe is a vital part obviously for us doing anything in the playoffs. A 80% Kobe isn't going to win it all, like I said earlier. He relies too much on that jump shot, and it's going to be off if his pinky is injured the way it is. 

If he reinjures that again, I don't think he is going to hold off the surgery anymore... which teams will be aiming for that pinky of his.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

Eternal said:


> We most likely would. We'd be at the 50 win mark, and alot of the teams after the all-star break face each other, so their records will be going down as well, and things will start to even out.


we face those teams a lot too, so that's just an excuse. we play dallas 3 times, houston once, portland 4, warriors 2 times, phoenix, san antonio, utah twice (i think), new orleans twice... 

at this rate getting 50 wins might not be enough.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

afobisme said:


> we face those teams a lot too, so that's just an excuse. we play dallas 3 times, houston once, portland 4, warriors 2 times, phoenix, san antonio, utah twice (i think), new orleans twice...
> 
> at this rate getting 50 wins might not be enough.


Right, but we have 17 of our 30 games at home, and 14 of those games at home are against teams with losing records.


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## TakaraJinRoh (Nov 27, 2007)

afobisme said:


> at this rate getting 50 wins might not be enough.


Nope. Not in the West. There are talks that even winning 52 games at best, is not enough for a spot.



Its said and done anyway. Kobe is stubborn. He'll play it out regardless. That # 3 seed in the Western Conference is really motivating him to finish the season strong.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Kobe at 80% is better than A LOT of players at 100%. I'm still not too worried.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

TakaraJinRoh said:


> Nope. Not in the West. There are talks that even winning 52 games at best, is not enough for a spot.
> 
> 
> 
> Its said and done anyway. Kobe is stubborn. He'll play it out regardless. That # 3 seed in the Western Conference is really motivating him to finish the season strong.


I think 50 wins will be enough by the season come to closure but we'll see. I agree with that #3 seed really motivating Kobe to finish the season out.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Basel57 said:


> Kobe at 80% is better than A LOT of players at 100%. I'm still not too worried.


I agree. I think he should play through it and see where it gets us.


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

As I've said before and will keep saying, if he doesn't reaggravate it for the next 2 weeks (hopefully 3-4 weeks), then it should be OK even though it'll heal funny.


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

the good thing about the pinki injury is that kobe will drive to the basket more often than take contested 3pters and jump shots

i guess there's always a silver lining...


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

dannyM said:


> the good thing about the pinki injury is that kobe will drive to the basket more often than take contested 3pters and jump shots
> 
> i guess there's always a silver lining...


Imagine if Kwame had this injury.


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## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

> According to NBA policy, a selectee who plays in his team's last game -- as Bryant did, scoring 29 points in Wednesday's win in Minnesota -- has to play in the All-Star game or sit out his next game.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...,1,3089685.story?track=rss&ctrack=2&cset=true


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

I say Kobe should sit out the allstar game and then skip the game against Atlanta. That will give him a 6 days or so of treatment on that finger before we play Phoenix.


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## TakaraJinRoh (Nov 27, 2007)

> Ok, some of you people don't understand medicine.
> 
> Kobe tore the ligament during the New Jersey game. He got it taped up and came back. The initial diagonis was wrong. They said it was a dislocated pinkie. They had x-rays which came back negative, but never did any tests to see if there was any tendon or muscle tear. The team put out a statement saying that their initial diagnosis was wrong and that Kobe's injury was more severe than expected.
> 
> ...


Per RealGM


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

TakaraJinRoh said:


> Per RealGM


Thanks for that quote. Let's hope everything goes well.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

people here might kill me for "jinxing" it, but if we lose early in the playoffs.. i bet kobe will get the surgery in time for the olympics.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

dannyM said:


> the good thing about the pinki injury is that kobe will drive to the basket more often than take contested 3pters and jump shots
> 
> i guess there's always a silver lining...


I'd think the exact opposite about driving to the basket unless he goes for layups only. Dunks will hurt like a *****.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

Eternal said:


> I'd think the exact opposite about driving to the basket unless he goes for layups only. Dunks will hurt like a *****.


i was gonna say the same (except for dunks, cuz kobe doesn't do that much). 

if he drives, and someone fouls him and hits him on the pink.. that could cause some real pain.

also, i bet bruce bowen wouldn't hesitate to swipe at the "ball" when defending him.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

afobisme said:


> i was gonna say the same (except for dunks, cuz kobe doesn't do that much).
> 
> if he drives, and someone fouls him and hits him on the pink.. that could cause some real pain.
> 
> also, i bet bruce bowen wouldn't hesitate to swipe at the "ball" when defending him.


Luckily we face the Spurs once more this year and its not til the second to last game of the season, which hopefully we have everything wrapped up by then, and Kobe can sit that game out.


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

Kobe will dunk left-handed.


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## Rentaponcho (Jun 30, 2006)

i dont think it is the #3 seed that will motivate kobe its the # 1 seed. its in reach, no its in our grasps if we play well.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Image with Kobe's brace on pinky:


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

damn kobe looks like freddie kruger.


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## Darth Bryant (Feb 1, 2005)

You know.. This is really far fetched and reaching. But I was just thinking about this earlier today... Say the Lakers do make a run with Kobe leading even with his fracture.. And say Kobe and the Lakers actually did well in the playoffs, not even a title (although that would be a be a bonus), but just a run in general..

Could you imagine how epic that would be? I mean people still talk about Jordans flu in the playoffs performance (which was amazing), imagine if Kobe could lead the Lakers in the west right now with his pinky all screwed up? 

Literally, the stage is setup for what could be one of the most epic runs in NBA history. 

Of course, this isn't exactly the most realistic hope. But it's some hope.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

CDRacingZX6R said:


> You know.. This is really far fetched and reaching. But I was just thinking about this earlier today... Say the Lakers do make a run with Kobe leading even with his fracture.. And say Kobe and the Lakers actually did well in the playoffs, not even a title (although that would be a be a bonus), but just a run in general..
> 
> Could you imagine how epic that would be? I mean people still talk about Jordans flu in the playoffs performance (which was amazing), imagine if Kobe could lead the Lakers in the west right now with his pinky all screwed up?
> 
> ...


No doubt about it.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

more epic is isiah playing in the finals with a broken arm... and i think he dominated in that game too.

kobe's problem is just a finger.... i don't think it would be that impressive, given that we expect so much of kobe.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

afobisme said:


> more epic is isiah playing in the finals with a broken arm... and i think he dominated in that game too.
> 
> kobe's problem is just a finger.... i don't think it would be that impressive, given that we expect so much of kobe.


You have the weirdest recollection of facts.


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## Darth Bryant (Feb 1, 2005)

Bartholomew Hunt said:


> You have the weirdest recollection of facts.


Truer words have never been spoken.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

afobisme said:


> more epic is isiah playing in the finals with a broken arm... and i think he dominated in that game too.
> 
> kobe's problem is just a finger.... i don't think it would be that impressive, given that we expect so much of kobe.


Just to help you clear things up better, Isiah never played in the Finals with a broken arm... that would be almost impossible to do in the NBA, lol.

I went ahead and looked up the exact quote for you, so you can see what he really said:

''The sorest part is my lower back and tailbone area,'' Thomas said. ''I tried to block Thompson's shot and when he released it, my arm caught his arm and I was off balance and got thrown to the floor. I knew I was hurt but I just tried to stay loose.

''I'm going to play. This is the N.B.A. final and I'll play with a broken arm if I have to.'' 'Not One to Miss Practice'


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## Darth Bryant (Feb 1, 2005)

Eternal said:


> Just to help you clear things up better, Isiah never played in the Finals with a broken arm... that would be almost impossible to do in the NBA, lol.
> 
> I went ahead and looked up the exact quote for you, so you can see what he really said:
> 
> ...


Next thing your going to tell us is that Jordan didn't really have have Ebola in the Utah playoff matchup...


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

CDRacingZX6R said:


> Next thing your going to tell us is that Jordan didn't really have have Ebola in the Utah playoff matchup...


Found this quote from MJ about the flu:

"I never had the flu, just made it up for all the media exposure that I knew it would get", MJ said while smoking a cigar.

Source


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## Sean (Jun 7, 2002)

Do you know that MJ would smoke a cigar before home games? The following is an excerpt form an interview in Cigar Aficionado magazine in 2005.



> MRS: Cigars? We're sitting here. We're smoking a Cuban Monty No. 2. Nothing wrong with that. I went through your humidor here; you have a great selection. When did you first get into cigars?
> Jordan: I smoked my first cigar in 1991, when we won the championship. Up to that point, I had never smoked a cigar, never smoked anything. We won the championship, and Jerry Reinsdorf gave me one of his cigars. He's a big cigar smoker.
> 
> The next time I received a cigar was from my good friend, Ahmad Rashad. He used to get these Churchills from Las Vegas that were dipped in rum. I wouldn't smoke them, but I owuld sit there and chew on them. I got to the point where it became very relaxing.
> ...


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## Darth Bryant (Feb 1, 2005)

Eternal said:


> Found this quote from MJ about the flu:
> 
> "I never had the flu, just made it up for all the media exposure that I knew it would get", MJ said while smoking a cigar.
> 
> Source


:lol:


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## jazzy1 (Jul 16, 2002)

CDRacingZX6R said:


> Truer words have never been spoken.



lol


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

isiah's arm may have not been broken, but it sure as hell looked like it. i think he was only dribbling with his right hand. maybe my memory fails me. i must have seen this video 10+ years ago.


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## Cap (Nov 5, 2003)

^ Definitely not a broken arm. Obviously you can't play with a broken arm unless it's barely a fracture on a non-weight bearing portion of the arm, which makes no sense.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

ah yes, im wrong actually.. wasn't his arm. it was a severely twisted ankle, it looked like he was limping or something. you'd have to see the footage yourself to understand how weird it looked.


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ncNJwyrY8fo&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ncNJwyrY8fo&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Zeke showed some serious balls to play like that...


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

isiah scored 25 in the 3rd quarter with a really hobbled leg.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

Nope, it was his arm. He was doing all kinds of crazy dribble moves with his arm flopping around everywhere. It was quite a sight to see and certainly advantageous. Then he founded Post-It notes.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Bartholomew Hunt said:


> Nope, it was his arm. He was doing all kinds of crazy dribble moves with his arm flopping around everywhere. It was quite a sight to see and certainly advantageous. Then he founded Post-It notes.


:lol: advantageous...


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