Kobe Bryant’s Knee On The Mend

Yahoo! reports: “Kobe Bryant doesn’t know how much his surgically repaired right knee will allow him to play in the preseason, but he does plan to be on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Oct. 26 season opener against the Houston Rockets. ‘If it’s ready to roll, I will play,’ Bryant said. ‘It’s tough because I don’t like talking timeline or timeframe because people get all antsy. When it’s ready, we’ll roll. I can’t see [missing the season opener]. That’s so far down the road. With where I’m at right now, strength-wise, it’s very, very good.’ Bryant, 32, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee July 23 and was expected to be ready for the start of training camp, which began Saturday night. He was bothered by the injury last season and needed to have the knee drained during the first round of the playoffs. Bryant said his knee feels a lot stronger now, but it hasn’t been truly tested yet. While Bryant didn’t have a timetable for his return, Lakers coach Phil Jackson is hopeful Bryant will play some minutes in the preseason.”