Kobe Bryant wasn't happy about spending Christmas Day on the sideline, unable to help the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.
It's a place he's unaccustomed to being on the holiday. Bryant leads the NBA with a record 15 appearances on Christmas Day, but he's out for an expected 4 to 6 weeks with a fracture in his left knee.
Bryant's injury was diagnosed last week, his second major one of the season.
Initially, Bryant didn't think he was seriously hurt against Memphis. "I didn't know it was fractured," he said. "I thought (the doctor) was joking when he told me."
Bryant isn't supposed to put any pressure on his knee. "It's just been slow in terms of laying off it and letting it heal," he said."My spirits are fine. I feel more locked in now than my entire career."