Kobe Bryant unsure of return date

Kobe Bryant

After returning from their pre-season trip to China, Kobe Bryant spoke to the press but still has not given an exact date on his return to action.

When asked about his Achilles injury, he said, “I was cranking it up the entire time I was in China,”

But he is not taking any chances with the injury and is relaxing a bit as well.

“I’ve scaled back since, just to let it heal up a little bit more and get a little bit more flexibility to it. But it feels good just to run and break a sweat by running.”

Bryant, 35, had torn his Achilles tendon back in April last season in a game against the Golden State Warriors. It was an injury that was supposed to keep him off the court for nine months.

But the five time NBA champion would not let it hamper his preparations for the season and even fast tracked his recovery.

“I certainly don’t need any more motivation,” Bryant said. “The motivation’s always been there for me because it’s always come from inside of me, the motivation.”

Although the 15-time All-Star has played through injuries before, this is a different case altogether.

“It’s a little different in the sense that, injuries to your lower extremities can always lead to something else.

“So, it’s not about being 100 percent necessarily, but it’s about making sure that you’re running with the proper gait and you’re not putting stress on other areas that can then cause problems down the road.”