Kobe Bryant out Friday with sore shoulder

Kobe Bryant's sore right shoulder will force him to sit out again on Friday, when his Los Angeles Lakers host the Atlanta Hawks.

This will mark the third time in four games that Bryant's shoulder has kept him on the sidelines, with the 37-year-old logging only 11 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Bryant - who underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder last January - has continued to struggle shooting the ball in his final season, averaging 16.8 points on a career-worst effective field goal percentage of 40.9.

Despite his bothersome shooting arm, Bryant won't entertain the possibility of ending his 20th season prematurely, saying Wednesday "As much as I can get out there and play, I'll get out there and play."

The Lakers enter Friday's contest sporting the Western Conference's worst record at 12-50.