Kobe Bryant hasn't played in a basketball game since January after tearing the rotator cuff in his right arm last season. Each of Bryant's last two seasons have been cut short due to injury as he tore his Achilles in the 2013-14 season. Bryant expects to be fully healthy this season and able to contribute for the Los Angeles Lakers and it appears as though he has taken his first step towards a comeback as he was in the gym shooting for the first time since the injury, according to his Instagram account.
A photo posted by Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Aug 22, 2015 at 1:59pm PDT
The fact that Bryant injured the shoulder on his shooting arm made Kobe have to wait a little longer to start shooting. Now that he is back on the court shooting it is just a matter of time before Kobe is in basketball shape and ready to play for the Lakers.
Bryant is entering his 20th and potentially final season. He hasn't officially said that this will be his last year playing in the NBA but he has suggested that it is a real possibility. Bryant is entering the final year of his contract in which he will be paid $25 million which is the highest salary in the league for the 2015-16 season.
The Lakers have re-stocked their roster and may play a little differently this season but one thing is for sure and that is that Kobe won't be the only guy the Lakers can rely on to score. With Lou Williams, Roy Hibbert, and D'Angelo Russell being brought in among others it is possible that Kobe can be more efficient and take less shots as the team is expected to be better.
The 37 year old superstar will probably be the starting small forward this season for the Lakers while also potentially seeing some time at power forward based on what Byron Scott has said. Kobe likely doesn't care where he is playing as long he is able to stay healthy and on the court. It would sure be nice to see Kobe have a fully healthy season in 2015-16 especially if this truly is the last year he will wear an NBA uniform.
