Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant paid a price for becoming the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game's leading scorer, breaking his nose in the Sunday contest, the Lakers said on Monday.
Bryant, who surpassed Michael Jordan as the game's all-time scorer, suffered a nasal fracture in the Western Conference's win and will be re-evaluated by an ear, nose and throat specialist when he returns to Los Angeles, the Lakers said on their website.
The 14-time All-Star apparently was injured in the third quarter when he suffered a bloody nose on a foul by the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade.
Bryant helped the West beat the East 152-149 by scoring 27 points in the game in Orlando, Florida.
He now has 271 points in 13 All-Star Games, nine points more than Jordan.
(Reporting By Gene Cherry in Salvo North Carolina, editing by Justin Palmer)
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