The season opens in two weeks, and Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni said that he does not expect Kobe Bryant to play. When asked if he thought Bryant would play on the October 29th opening, D’Antoni said: “No, I don’t think so. I think it’s an ongoing process, but that would be tough.”
On Monday, Bryant said that he had no pain in his left Achilles, which was surgically. Bryant has also said that he has made a lot of progress in getting prepared, but D’Antoni told reporters on Tuesday: “I think it’s good; no one said it was bad. So obviously it was one of his first steps. … Not quite yet ready to get on the court. So we’ll just have to wait a while.”
NBA commissioner David Stern was asked about Bryant when he was in China recently, and Stern commented: “He’s been playing for a very long time as our viewership and interest in our game has grown dramatically, and he has come to this country quite often and understands what it is to cultivate a fan base which totally understands that he has, shall I say, the heart of a champion.”
