The wait for the return of Kobe Bryant is officially over.
The superstar guard posted a 2-minute video on facebook of his jersey going through the seasons before ending on a note that said 12.8.13, an indication that he will play against the Toroto Raptors on Sunday.
The league has already dealt with plenty of devastating injuries, so this is truly a welcoming sight. The question now is, what will Bryant look like when he hits the floor for the first time since injuring his Achilles heel eight months ago? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared his thoughts on that question, as see below:
On Kobe’s return… It’ll be interesting. I’m sure his general strategy is to ease back in slowly so he can adjust to his new circumstance.
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) December 7, 2013
Abdul-Jabbar seems to have the right idea on this one. When it comes to Bryant, there are always going to be expectations. Some probably expect him to come out of the gates and drop 30 on the Raptors, as he so loves to do against this particular team. It’s reasonable to want to see that out of him, but also unfair.
Players generally look all sorts of out-of-sync when they play their first game in the preseason. That’s what we should expect from Bryant, too, especially given the unknown factor of how his surgically repaired Achilles heel will respond to the rigors of an NBA game. Will he be a step slower? Can he really still explode to make his moves, or will he realize that it’s time to adjust his game? You can look and feel good in practice or even in the preseason, but an actual game is a whole other story. Just ask Derrick Rose.
Bryant will find out in the next week or so (as he plays through the first few games) on what kind of a player he is going to be moving forward. All we can do is be patient, watch and hope for the best.
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James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.