Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; TNT broadcaster Shaquille O

When Kobe Bryant went down with a torn Achilles, he upset not only himself and the Los Angeles Lakers, but every basketball fan around the world. Several basketball legends, including Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, joined NBA TV’s Game Time to give their take on the wounded warrior.

Isiah Thomas suffered a torn Achilles himself, which forced him to retire. If anyone is familiar with the horrific of injury, it’s certainly the Hall of Fame point guard.

“The atrophy that comes along with the injury is very difficult to, sometimes, come back from,” Thomas said.

“Physically, I don’t think the Achilles will hold him back, I think where medicine and surgery and everything is at today, I do think that the doctors will be able to repair that injury. It’s just a matter of will he want to go out and rehab in the way that it needs to be rehabbed to go back on the court and compete at his age.”

In his own case, Thomas just could not handle the thought of returning as a lesser version of himself.

“The injury more or less put the nail in the coffin. I was definitely headed towards retirement. Physically my body just wasn’t able respond the way I wanted it to respond. Once I felt that I couldn’t dominate at my position, I didn’t think that myself or the fans or the league would ever accept me as a player that averaged 13 or 14 points and 7-8 assists a night,” he said.

Considering the severity of the injury, some have even questioned if Bryant will go through the gruesome rehab. If you ask Charles Barkley there is no doubt that he will.

“Well, I think he’ll be back but I think it’s going to be very difficult. Think about it. We’re looking at probably at least the middle of next season before he is back. So I think he’ll be back but I think Kobe wants to go out on his own terms, but what level he is going to be at is going to be key,” Barkley said.

Probably the most optimistic of them all was Bryant’s former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, who himself was bothered by an Achilles injury late in his career.

“Now with the new surgeries that they have and better treatments I see him coming back in 4-6 months. He is a hard worker, he never stops working and he loves when people doubt him. So I actually see him coming back between 4-6 months,” Shaq said.

There are clearly some mixed opinions all around the league on Kobe’s future. The only thing you can bet on is that he will work his way back, but the question of how good he will be will only be answered when he once again steps on an NBA court.

@VytisLasaitis

Jan. 24, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: TNT announcer Charles Barkley court side prior to the game between the Phoenix Suns against the Los Angeles Clippers at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Clippers 93-88. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

1963 – Happy 50^th birthday to TNT commentator and Hall of Fame power forward Charles Barkley, who played 16 seasons in the league. Although he did not win a ring, he still is arguably one of the greatest players in NBA history. He had the 11^th-best player efficiency rating all-time and was one of the greatest rebounders.

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