INQUIRER Sports

LOS ANGELES, California, United States?Kobe Bryant's sore left ankle could keep the Los Angeles Lakers superstar out of the NBA All-Star game next Sunday in Dallas.

Bryant, who missed his second straight game on Monday as the Lakers downed San Antonio 101-89, said he wouldn't play in the mid-season exhibition if he didn't feel his ankle was ready.

"If I'm not able to play, I won't play. But if I'm healthy, I will," he said.

Bryant said he can't push off on his left foot.

"I can't move to play. Can't go," said Bryant, who said it would be a game-time decision as to whether he plays for the Lakers on Wednesday at Utah. "If I'm ready to go, I'll play."

Bryant stayed in the locker room to get treatment on Monday night.

"It's frustrating. I'm not used to this. I don't know what the hell players are supposed to do back here," he said. "I don't know what's going on half the time."

Bryant's streak of 235 consecutive games played ended on Saturday when he skipped Los Angeles's victory at Portland.

But he said his reputation for being a warrior who would rather play through injury is overblown.

"I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to run through a wall just to run through a wall," he said. "If it's an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I'm playing, then I'll play. But if it's the type of injury where it's going to get worse when I play, then I won't."

Bryant first sprained the ankle on January 29 in Philadelphia, then aggravated it during a game against Charlotte when teammate Lamar Odom stepped on his foot.