Kobe Bryant may be aging in terms of NBA years, but on social media the Black Mamba is entering his prime. Kobe shared a pic on Instagram of his exposed leg with a long, gross scar running the length of his Achilles tendon, a reminder of the injury that appeared to threaten his career three months ago.
Bryant is claiming now to have "shattered" the recovery timetable for ruptured Achilles tendons, and says he moves without pain and can walk without a limp. While initial reports had a Bryant return by Christmas as an optimistic forecast, the super competitive Lakers gunner is now targeting the NBA's opening night.
"The surgical procedure was different [...] and because of that the recovery has been different," Bryant said. "The normal timetable for recovery from an Achilles, we've shattered that. Three-and-a-half months I can already walk just fine, I'm lifting weights with the Achilles just fine and that's different. So we don't know what that timetable is going to be. It's kind of new territory for us all."
Now that Dwight Howard has fled the L.A. spotlight for the comfier confines of Houston, a return to form by Bryant as quickly as possible could keep the Lakers relevant in a brutal Western Conference. While L.A. has lost arguably the NBA's best center, their competitors have gotten better.
The Clippers re-signed Chris Paul and added veterans Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick to the mix. The Memphis Grizzlies signed sharpshooting forward Mike Miller. The Houston Rockets lured Howard away and figure to be above the Lakers in the standings this year, while San Antonio has retained big man Tiago Splitter.
Still, expect Bryant to be unfazed by the improved opponents in the West. Kobe averaged 27 points, a career-high matching six assists and 5.6 rebounds a night as he willed the injury-riddled Lake Show to an eighth seed in the playoffs.
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