Latest Injury Updates, Return Timetables for Kobe Bryant and LA Lakers

Kobe Bryant


After his gruesome Achilles tendon injury, Kobe Bryant seems like he's back on the mend and recovering at a very brisk pace


By his own admission during an interview with Lakers.com, Bryant's goal continues to be to return by December at the latest. It appears that even if there is some degradation of his athleticism, Bryant is confident that his skills and experience will help him continue to perform at a high level.

Although there is some skepticism regarding whether or not the Black Mamba can perform up to his own lofty standards, he still seems capable of performing surprisingly athletic feats. 

While recovering in time for opening day may be a stretch at best, seeing the Black Mamba getting back into shape and working on his conditioning is a good sign for optimistic fans. 

Having trainers accompany him around at all times certainly won't hurt the recovery process. The fact that the Black Mamba feels good about the Achilles tendon can only mean good things for a franchise looking to at least be competitive this season. 

Shattering projected recovery times and lifting weights so quickly after surgery indicates that he could return anywhere between training camp itself and early December.



 

Pau Gasol


Other than Steve Nash, there wasn't a Laker on the roster who was hindered by injuries as much as Pau Gasol was.

Undergoing procedures on both knees in May to remove degenerated tissue, Gasol has recently started to resume on-court activities and is projected to be in the starting lineup for opening night. 

Expected by Mike D'Antoni to be at nearly 100 percent by the time training camp rolls around, Gasol will definitely benefit by being eased in via a minutes cap to start the season off. 



 

Steve Nash

Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers