Kobe Bryant Broken Nose News: Lakers Star to See Specialist

Kobe Bryant's broken nose is the talk of the town in Los Angeles, as fans plot revenge againt Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat after Wade left Bryant with a nasal fracture during Sunday's NBA All-Star Game.

But Bryant himself is recovering and is expected to visit an ear, nose and throat specialist on Tuesday to get a more in-depth diagnosis and prognosis, according to the Los Angeles Times. The specialist visit was initially supposed to take place Monday, but was postponed for unknown reasons.

The Los Angeles Lakers' star shooting guard not only sustained a broken nose, but also suffered a mild concussion during the Sunday showdown in Orlando (which Bryant's Western Conference won 152-149 despite Kobe Bryant's broken nose in the third quarter.)

The news that Kobe has to see a specialist means that the question of whether or not he will be able to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday is still up in the air until later today. He may be able to play with a face mask, if the specialist approves such a move, according to SBNation.

After Minnesota, the Lakers face off against the Detroit Pistons Friday and the Heat on Saturday. Bryant, being the ruthless competitor that he is, will almost definitely figure out a way to make it back into the starting five by Saturday, so he can get back at Wade and the Heat for leaving him holding his nose on the bench on Sunday.

Despite going out with the injuries, Bryant did pass a major milestone during the All-Star Game. By putting up 27 points Sunday, he surpassed Michael Jordan as the highest-scoring player in All-Star Game history, with 271 career points.

Dwayne Wade spoke with reporters about the foul that led to Kobe Bryant's broken nose:

I obviously didn't try to draw no blood, but I took a foul. Kobe fouled me two times in a row, so he's still got one up on me, Wayne said, according to the Los Angeles Times. But I'm glad that everything was cool and we got back to being competitive and having fun.

Wade went on to add the following about Bryant:

He's one of the best of all time, Wade said. We will one day say we had the honor of playing against one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.