Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant said he and his doctors have "shattered" the timetable for recovery after his Achilles surgery.
"The surgical procedure was different . . . and because of that, the recovery has been different," Bryant said while traveling in Shenzhen, China, according to NBA.com. "The normal timetable for recovery from an Achilles, we’ve shattered that. Three-and-a-half months [and] 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."
Bryant was injured April 12 in a victory over the Golden State Warriors. After surgery, the Lakers announced the All-Star guard would need at least six to nine months of recovery.
It's unclear if Bryant will be back for opening night, but he sounded optimistic in his reported comments while touring China.
Bryant has had a busy summer. In addition to working on his recovery and visiting China, he recently vacationed in Italy and made an appearance last week at a Dodgers game.
- Eric Pincus
