LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who turns 33 in August, underwent a procedure in Germany on his arthritic right knee about a month ago, the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday.
The newspaper, citing four unnamed sources, reported that the treatment, a derivation on platelet-rich plasma therapy that is designed to stimulate tissue repair without surgery, was the fourth procedure on Bryant’s knee since 2003.
Bryant, who underwent surgery a year ago, joined 14-time major golf champion Tiger Woods, Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal and NFL Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward in using the treatment on knee injuries.
The innovative treatment sees blood drawn from a patient spun in a centrifuge to isolate platelets, which are then injected into an injured area with ultrasound used for proper targeting.
Bryant, who has three years and $83.5 million remaining on his Lakers contract, missed most of the Lakers’ practice sessions this season and saw his scoring and shooting accuracy diminish last season in his 15th NBA campaign.