Kobe diagnosed with torn rotator cuff, status to be updated Friday

An MRI on Kobe Bryant's injured right shoulder has revealed a torn rotator cuff, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Thursday.

An update on Bryant's status is expected after he's examined by team doctors Friday. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the fear within the Lakers organization is that surgery will be required, ending his season.

Bryant appeared to injure his shoulder on a dunk during the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He attempted to shoot left-handed when re-entering the game, and didn't exit again until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Bryant had missed eight of the previous 15 games prior to Wednesday's contest, with head coach Byron Scott resting him in a season-long attempt to keep the aging Hall of Famer as fresh as possible.

Scott had also instituted a 32-minute limit on Bryant, who has worked his way back from major Achilles and knee injuries over the last two years.

Bryant is averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 steals in more than 34 minutes per game, but his shooting and overall quality of play have certainly shown signs of aging. The 36-year-old veteran is shooting a career-low 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point territory.

The 19-year veteran, who put together a legendary 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors nine years ago to the day, has logged more than 55,000 minutes between the regular season and postseason since 1996.