Prior to tip-off against the Memphis Grizzlies last night, head coach Mike D’Antoni said that while Kobe Bryant is progressing well, he doesn’t think he’ll be back by Thanksgiving.
Since that was the first update in at least a week, many were wondering if Bryant had possibly suffered a setback. With the players having some doubts of their own after a 89-86 loss, the Lakers returned to practice on Saturday with a familiar face on the court.
After seven long months, Kobe made his return to the Lakers’ practice court via Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski:
After seven months rehabbing a torn Achilles, Kobe Bryant has returned to Lakers practice, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) November 16, 2013
While the practice only consisted of 5 on 0 drills, strategy work, and shooting, it clearly lifted the entire team’s spirits including Pau Gasol:
Pau Gasol on Kobe at practice: “He looked good, & did a few moves I didn’t expect him to do right away. I’m very happy for him & for us.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 16, 2013
While the Lakers have lost four of their last five games, Jodie Meeks has played well in Bryant’s absence and said that the five-time champion was able to cut and jump:
Asked @Jmeeks20 how @kobebryant did at practice: “He looked great.” Said it was mostly just drills, but Kobe cut, jumped, shot it, etc.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 16, 2013
The Lakers are currently 4-7 this season and have three games remaining in this four-game homestand. With the team preparing for the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, the entire Lakers team received a much needed boost from just seeing their leader back on the court.
While there isn’t a set date on when Bryant will actually make his highly-anticipated regular season return, this was an important first step.
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Lakers Lose To Memphis Grizzlies: Game Recap and Player Of The Game, Jodie Meeks With 25 Points
