Predicting When Kobe Bryant Will Return to LA Lakers Starting Lineup

The waiting game continues for Kobe Bryant's return from a torn Achilles, but there's a new level of excitement for Los Angeles Lakers fans.

The Black Mamba told B/R's own Kevin Ding that he could see himself playing before the end of November.

It sounds fantastic at first, the thought of Bryant's first NBA action since April 12 coming within a month's time. But it gets better than that. As the intoxicating aroma of Thanksgiving feasts takes over your brain, you realize just how close to the end of this month we really are.

This is only the start of Bryant's test, wrote ESPN.com's J.A. Adande, "whether he'll wait until he's completely ready to come back, or will he be overwhelmed by eagerness to return." Patience is a virtue at 21, but it's a necessity for the 35-year-old Bryant.

"You have to kind of detach yourself somewhat and make sure that when you come back, you're ready to give the team the proper lift," Bryant told Adande. "It's very tough to do that, but it's something that has to be done."

With the safety precautions out of the way, though, just how long will basketball fans be waiting to see Bryant back in the purple and gold? The Lakers' upcoming schedule certainly gives him some intriguing options.

 

*Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.

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