Mar 28, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) backs down on Milwaukee Bucks forward Marquis Daniels (6) during the third quarter at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

During the 2012-13 season, the Lakers have had a dramatic year, full of winning, losing, great moments and blame, but most of all the year has been dealing with injuries.

In Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash both had to leave the game with some nagging injury. Kobe was seen walking with the help of a crutch and according to the Orange County Register is dealing with a bone spur in his left foot and will be examined by a foot specialist in Sacramento, where L.A. is slated to play the Kings Saturday. ESPN reports that Nash tweaked his back, hamstring and hip against the Bucks, but is likely to play against the Kings.

Because Nash probably won’t miss any time, his injury won’t affect the team, but Kobe’s will. If Bryant can’t go, they could lose to Sacramento, and that’s one they need to win. The Black Mamba may not miss any time, but it is always harder to play at a high level when dealing with an injury that hampers your mobility in any way.

If Kobe misses the game in Sacramento, the rest of the star-studded cast of the Lakers could propel the team to victory, but the game after that against the Dallas Mavericks on April 2^nd is going to be important for tie-breakers and the fortunes of at least four teams.

Currently, the Lakers are only holding off the Utah Jazz by a half a game and the Dallas Mavericks by 1.5 in the race for the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoffs. If Kobe can’t go for even a couple games, Los Angeles will have a tough time finding a way to win without him on the court.

The Lakers are also in a difficult  spot, because Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) is out for the season due to injury. This year they have had to deal with each of their superstar starters out for different periods making chemistry hard to acquire.

When Nash was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Los Angeles Lakers during the off-season, management in Hollywood must have been so confident in the superstar team they had created that they handed over some protected first-round draft picks to acquire Nash. They were one of the preseason favorites to win the title, but because of injuries and chemistry issues, they are now on the verge of missing the postseason all-together, which would hand a low lottery pick right to the Suns.

Apr. 25, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; A fan holds a sign recognizing Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Nash, one of the greatest players in Phoenix Suns history, and arguably the most popular player in Phoenix Suns history, parted ways with the team after eight, legendary years that will be remembered by Suns fans for decades to come.

During this past July, Nash and the Suns hashed out a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers under sign-and-trade terms and in a split second, Nash was headed to L.A. Well, tomorrow night, the great Sun returns, still wearing purple but it’ll be highlighted gold, not orange.

The last time Steve Nash played on the Phoenix Suns home floor wearing an opponent’s jersey dates back all the way to March 13th 2004 when Nash part of the Dallas Mavericks team that trampled the Suns that evening 113-90. Despite Dallas beating the Suns that night, Steve Nash didn’t play his best game, scoring just seven points and dishing out seven assists.

When Nash left Phoenix for Los Angeles, Planet Orange diverged into two groups, one group was happy for good ole Captain Canada and wished him all the best in his endeavor to hoist that lucrative Larry O’Brien trophy in June. The other group was bitter, angry and perceived Nash’s decision to join the Lakers as sign of betrayal; some of those fans might have had a similar reaction to that of this sweet 4-year old girl

Tomorrow won’t mark the final time Nash returns to the valley as a Laker. In fact, Nash and his LAKERS will be back again on March 18th later on this season.

Apr. 25, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash waves to the fans following the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Nash hasn’t been himself this season, his points per game is lowest since the 1999-2000 season, assist per game is the lowest since 2002-2003, but most importantly, Nash and his Lakers are struggling to win basketball games.

The Lakers own an awful 19-25 record given their standards, and talent. However the Lakers have managed to win their last two games beating the Utah Jazz and getting an impressive win on Sunday over the Thunder of Oklahoma City.

The last time Nash stepped on to the Suns home floor wearing an opponent’s jersey, his team trumped the Suns by 23 points. Needless to say the Suns and Planet Orange are hoping for a different result tomorrow night as the two-time MVP and all-time great Sun returns to the valley to take on the Suns on national television.