Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has missed a huge chunk of the past two seasons because of various injuries but according to team general manager Mitch Kupchak, their franchise star is ready for training camp and will be playing in the season opener.
Bryant was having a great year last season despite the Lakers struggling but it was cut short when he suffered a shoulder injury and went through surgery last January to repair a torn rotator cuff.
The 37-year-old basketball star played in 35 games in the 2014–15 season, averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest.
After the surgery, Bryant was expected to be out for nine months; but with the Lakers starting training camp late this month, it seems like he has recovered faster than expected.
"My understanding is that he'll be ready for camp. Knowing Kobe, he will try to participate in every practice in camp," Kupchak told Sam Amick of USA Today.
"But myself and (head coach) Byron (Scott) are going to have something to say about that. So I'm sure there will be a practice or two or three where we won't let him practice, but I do expect him to be full bore at camp," Kupchak added.
Keeping Bryant healthy is a must for the Lakers because in the past two seasons, he played in only 41 games due to injuries.
The last time the five-time NBA champion played 82 games in one season was in the 2010–11 season, the season after they won the franchise's 16th championship.
After that, Bryant started to miss games because he was plagued by injuries. The Lakers are hoping for a different outcome for the upcoming season.
The Lakers will open their preseason with a couple of games facing the Utah Jazz in Hawaii during the second week of October, while their regular season will begin on Oct. 28 hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves.
