Kobe Bryant has a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Stacy Revere/Getty It was announced Friday that Kobe Bryant had a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

Bryant injured his shoulder while playing against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday, prompting him to play left-handed in the fourth quarter of a 96-80 loss.

Though there's no official word on whether Bryant will undergo surgery, he is expected to miss the rest of the season.

For Bryant, this would be the third straight year in which his season was ended prematurely by injury. In 2012-2013, he tore his Achilles tendon, and in 2013-2014, he missed the end of the season with a knee injury.

Former NBA player and Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale weighed in on Bryant's injury and offered a harsh reality:

Eventually, this catches up to you, man. Kobe's a great player, but I've seen other great players. When your time's up, your time's up, man. It's too bad, but it happens to everybody.

I wish him all the best. I've always admired him. I think he's a hell of a competitor, but everything comes to an end. In my case, my body just said, 'You weren't playing anymore,' and I said, 'OK.'

Bryant is 36 years old and playing in his 19th NBA season. Despite his high mileage, he was still averaging nearly 35 minutes per game this year.

With one more year on his contract, many people expected next season to be his last.

Bryant is also known for being a stubborn, willful player who many people believe will not end his career unless it's on his own terms. If Bryant wishes to play one more season (or even beyond), he would be smart to take his time recovering from this injury, and then return next season and accept a lesser role.