For the first time since he underwent surgery on his shoulder, Kobe Bryant took to the bench for the recent Los Angeles Lakers versus Dallas Mavericks game at Staples Center.
While Bryant might have been at the game to further recruit Mavs point guard Rajon Rondo, Kobe took in the game and saw his team fight until the end when the Mavericks pulled out late to defeat the Lakers.
Kobe did spend some time talking about his return and the possible future of the team.
Following from Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
“I’ll be ready to go,” Bryant said. “I’ll do my regiment and be ready to go.”
Each of Bryant’s past three seasons have ended due to injury.
Mitch Kupchak recently said the Los Angeles Lakers will not compromise the team’s financial flexibility and youth for more established veterans.
“It’s a balance of both,” Bryant said. “You always want to set the franchise up for the long term. Mitch and I are on the same page. What he said in the interview is not something that we haven’t talked about before. It’s nothing different. You don’t want to compromise the future of the franchise for one season. You try to balance that.”
For both the Lakers and Bryant returning for the start of next season has been mission number one since he went down. He spoke on the path he will take for a comeback briefly during his documentary, ‘Kobe Bryant’s Muse’ and how all the injuries he’s faced recently have tested him more than set him back.
Bryant has a tenacity and ferociousness that is unmatched by anyone in today’s NBA. Him saying he’ll be ready is no surprise, so everyone just needs to hang on to their seats and be prepared for the next mamba strike.
