NBA superstar close to returning to action after Achilles tendon surgery.
It is the news Los Angeles Lakers fans have been hanging out to hear from he first game of the season – Kobe Bryant is taking part in full practice sessions again.
The NBA superstar has been on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery to repair his torn Achilles tendon, suffered at the end of the 2012-13 regular season.
Defying the normal time-frame to overcome such an injury, Bryant is in line to make his return to the starting line-up.
But when that happens exactly is still a mystery with the man himself remaining coy as he walked out of the Lakers practice facility after taking shots with the rest of his teammates.
Guard Xavier Henry revealed Bryant looked like the player he was before, despite spending the past seven months on the sidelines.
“He was out there making shots, basically being himself, just at a slower pace,” Lakers guard Henry said.
“He’ll be all right sooner or later. He’s of course not 100 percent, but to see him out there — it helps.”
Bryant was restricted to half-court 5 on 0 drills and basic shooting, with his presence on the court giving the 4-7 Lakers a shot in the arm.
Pau Gasol said the team will get a lot of confidence seeing Bryant getting close to making a return from the most serious injury sustained in his career.
“He looked really good. He looked like Kobe,” Gasol said.
“It was the first time he was actually out there, and I was very happy to see him. I’m looking forward to seeing him do more out there.
“It was all half-court things, it was all very contained. But I think it was a great step forward. I hope that he reacts well to it and continues to build on it.”
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