Kobe Bryant played through the pain, leading the Lakers to a 99-83 win against the Phoenix Suns on the 10th. Bryant suffered a torn ligament in his wrist during a preseason game, as confirmed by the Lakers twitter page on the 21st of December, and has been recovering since.

Bryant defied his injury on Tuesday, scoring 48 points in one of his highest scoring games. The ligament injury, though not requiring surgery, is known for being extremely painful, especially when agitated. That’s the difference between good players and great players- good players make excuses, and great players make plays.

At 33 and injured, Bryant is still a force to be reckoned with, and his drive and dedication combined with his enormous talent makes him a deciding factor in almost every game he plays. Bryant has proved to be a resilient player, and you can look to him to play through the pain and continue to lead his Lakers no matter how tough it gets.