Lakers nation is following Kobe Bryant's rehabilitation from a torn Achilles tendon very closely, and despite all the glowing reports and Kobe's bluster, he has finally admitted L.A.'s October 29th season opener may be too soon for him to come back.
"I don't know if I'll be ready for opening night. I really don't know," Bryant said to late night host Jimmy Kimmel at Nokia Theater. "I know I'm really, really ahead of schedule."
Kimmel and Bryant paired up for a special event dubbed, Kobe Up Close Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, of which the proceeds were donated to The Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation, a charity that wages war on homelessness.
Bryant is known as perhaps the NBA's fiercest competitor, but at 34 years old, with 17 seasons on his odometer, Kobe admitted it may be time to ease off the pedal just a bit. When asked about possibly taking a more limited role this season after he comes back he didn't reject the thought.
"That's the goal," Bryant said. "We got a little younger and picked up a couple of wing players who I really think will help us tremendously next year - Nick Young and Wesley Johnson. I really look forward to them easing the load."
When asked about the process of Dwight Howard exiting Los Angeles and leaving $30 million on the table to go play for the Rockets, Bryant chose the high road and didn't make any digs at the polarizing center. "Dwight's a great kid," Bryant said. Kobe attended the Lakers' meeting with Dwight to convince him to stay, despite reports of a rocky relationship. Kobe explained to Kimmel his reasoning behind going to the pitch.
It was about the organization. It was about everything they'd done for me throughout my career. It was about me trying to help them out any way I can to set them up for the future, for when I retire. It wasn't about me."
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