EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Kobe Bryant met the media Monday with a new companion — an electronic stimulation device hooked up to his sore lower back.
Plans call for the two to spend a lot of time together for the next couple of days, or longer.
The Los Angeles Lakers star tweaked his back in the opening minutes of Sunday’s 123-115 overtime loss at Utah that tied the Western Conference semifinals 2-2.
“It’s pretty sore right now,” Bryant said Monday. “It’s tight. It’s to be expected the next day, I guess. I don’t know how I made it through the game, to be honest with you.”
Bryant said he was receiving treatment around the clock.
“Secret stuff,” he replied with a smile when asked to be specific about the treatment.
Regarding the electronic stimulating device, Bryant said he had slept with it Sunday night.
“It cuts down the pain,” he said. “How, I don’t know.”
The teams play Game 5 in the best-of-seven series Wednesday night at the Staples Center, where the Lakers are 16-3 against the Jazz since the arena opened before the 1999-2000 season.
Bryant said he was just glad Game 5 wasn’t being played tonight.
“It was give me another day to recuperate,” he said. “I’ll be ready to play. I can’t imagine it being any worse than it was (Sunday) night.”
Bryant conducted his postgame news conference standing up because of the discomfort in his back.
“I had to keep my poise to keep from yelling all kind of curse words,” he said.
Bryant shot just 13-for-33, including 1-for-7 in overtime, while scoring 33 points.
Several members of the Jazz said they weren’t aware Bryant was hurting until after the game, and they expect him to be at full strength in Game 5.
“If he puts on his uniform and plays, don’t worry about him being hurt,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “You’d better be ready to play the guy because he’s a great player and he’s got the ability to bury you in a lot of different ways. That’s what (great players) can do.”
Said Deron Williams: “I think Kobe’s going to be Kobe when it comes Wednesday. I’m not going to expect anything else.”
