(Reuters) – Kobe Bryant has been ruled out indefinitely after he severely sprained his left ankle in the final seconds of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 96-92 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
With his team trailing 94-92, Bryant misfired on a potential game-tying jump shot along the baseline and came down on the foot of Hawks defender Dahntay Jones.
Bryant remained on the floor for several moments before limping off and leaving the game on crutches.
The five-time NBA champion would not speculate on his chances of playing on Friday at Indiana and vented his displeasure about the injury instead.
“First and foremost, I think the officials really need to protect shooters,” Bryant told reporters. “Defensive players, you can contest shots but you can’t walk underneath players.
“There’s no rhyme or reason why I should come down anywhere near somebody’s foot.”
