Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Most people expected Kobe Bryant to return from his torn achilles by Christmas this year, but it now appears the legendary shooting guard could be back much sooner than anyone thought. Los Angeles Lakers vice president Jim Buss said Thursday that he believes No. 24 will be back by the preseason.
“He’s real sharp in taking care of himself and he’s not going to rush anything just to get back and prove a point. He’s going to come back when he’s right. He’s a machine. He’s inhuman. I see him coming back at the beginning of this season. I can’t believe how much he’s progressed so far.”
Apparently Bryant is way ahead of schedule on his rehab and just amazing everybody with his progress. This is no surprise, because if there’s one thing that’s true about the Black Mamba, it’s that he’s a fighter. Kobe is not going to let this injury derail his hopes of winning another ring. Heck, he’s probably more driven than ever now that everyone thinks he’s on the decline.
As far as his quick rehab is concerned, that’s not shocking either. This is the same guy who pioneered going overseas to have platelet rich plasma therapy. I wouldn’t be a bit shocked if he’s using some cutting edge medical technology to speed the recovery on his ankle right now.
So would I really be surprised if Bryant made it back to the court by October? No. But that just can’t happen. I don’t care if the guy is superhuman, he’s still a 34-year old basketball player with a ton of miles on his legs. The Lakers need to pace their superstar, because let’s be honest, he’s really all they’ve got left at this point.
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