Laker Nation Awaiting Kobe’s Return

December 6, 2013

@nick_speed

It has been a long 8 months since Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles. Finally, a couple months into this NBA season, the Black Mamba is now on the verge of return. Despite ruling himself out for today’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Bryant believes he will be back very soon. The Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday is his latest target.  After three straight days of practice, Bryant said he was “pleased” with how he feels. However, there are still some lingering issues to overcome in his Achilles rehabilitation.

“The [left] ankle joint, that’s the thing that’s been restricted for so long,” Bryant said. “You’re talking about months of immobility, so you got to work through that a little bit. There’s still some scar tissue in there that needs to be broken up. That’s done through movement and therapy and mobilizations.”

The Lakers have surprisingly played some good basketball in their leader’s absence. They have a respectable 9-9 record to start the season, and their success can be attributed to their team work. LA’s bench has been the driving force, unlike past seasons. Jordan Farmer’s return to Hollywood, Xavier Henry, Nick Young, and Jordan Hill have all provided the energy, toughness, and hustle needed to win. Pau Gasol has been rounding into form as of late (averaging 16 ppg & 9 rpg in the last 10 games). All of these players have done a ton of growing together, and it must continue as the make the transition once Kobe returns.

While the team travels today to face the Kings, know that Kobe will working, doing everything in his power to return at full strength. In a chat with ESPN reporter David McMenamin, Kobe puts his hellacious workout regime in perspective…

“My training has no time restrictions in terms of when I do them,” Bryant said. “I can do them at 2 o’clock in the morning, 3 o’clock, it doesn’t matter. You just got to do them. The blackout is very intense. It’s a huge commitment. It’s 6-in-the-morning stuff and then take the kids to school and then go do another session with weights and shooting and practice, and then after that do some more practice. It’s an ongoing thing, and throughout all of that you have to take care of your body and take care of the knickknack injuries that may arise. It’s intense, but it’s fun.”

I’m not sure what Kobe Bryant we will see when he returns, but I’m sure as hell excited…

December 6, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Kobe Bryant, Laker Nation, Los Angeles Lakers, nba | Leave a comment