Kobe Bryant injures left knee, out 6 weeks

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images via ESPN

The Los Angeles Lakers announced on their Twitter account (@Lakers) that Kobe Bryant will be sidelined for six weeks due to "a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee." He had just come back from his left Achilles tendon injury that sidelined him this past April.

Where is that? This image might help.

According to ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne, Kobe played with the fracture in the fourth quarter of their 96-92 victory over Memphis. Bryant had said that he hyperextended his knee during the third quarter of said game, as seen from this clip from Silver Screen & Roll:

According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, there will not be a need for surgery for that fracture, adding that "the bone will heal."

Six weeks means that he will be back by February at the earliest. Without Kobe, Xavier Henry and Jodie Meeks will comprise the Lakers backcourt in the meantime, starting this weekend against Minnesota at Staples. Henry has been acting as the point guard off the bench for Mike D'Antoni, who won't have his top FOUR point guard options due to injuries.

Bryant has averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in the six games he has played, leading the Lakers to a 2-4 record.

Jordan Farmar will be the soonest to return from his injury (he suffered that on December 1), but Lakers doctors will re-examine his left hamstring on December 24 (one day before Heat vs Lakers). He had been estimated to be out for at least four weeks.

Steve Blake and his freak elbow injury (he suffered that on December 12) will have him out for six weeks, which puts that timetable to around the end of January.

As for Steve Nash, who has only played in six games this season, he will need four more weeks before being re-evaluated, which also pegs that to be around the end of January as well.