Alex Rodriguez says knee pain nearly forced Kobe Bryant to retire

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez told reporters this weekend that Lakers star Kobe Bryant considered retiring after last season because the pain in his right knee was nearly intolerable.

Bryant’s visit to Germany for special treatment on his knee allowed Bryant’s career to continue, Rodriguez said. The procedure, performed by Dr. Peter Wehling, involves drawing blood from the patient’s arm and then drawing platelets from that blood. The platelets are then injected into the injured area to stimulate tissue repair.

"I know that he was hurting before, almost even thinking about retirement, that's how much pain he was under. And then he said after he went to Germany he felt like a 27-year-old again," Rodriguez said, per the Los Angeles Times.

The treatment seems to have worked. After playing just 33.9 minutes per game last season—the lowest since his second year in the NBA—Bryant is averaging 38.2 minutes this season and is scoring a league-high 28.4 points per game, up from 25.3 last season.

Bryant recommended the treatment for Rodriguez.

"Now the thing is, if I can play as well as Kobe, we're in business," Rodriguez said.

"My knee does feel a lot better," he added. "Basically it was five injections right into your knee on five consecutive days. After the third day it felt pretty darn good. Kobe said, 'Look, your third or fourth day you actually will start feeling a lot better,' and he was exactly right."