Kobe Bryant: I need three more weeks of conditioning

Sorry Lakers fans, looks like you guys don’t have a shred of luck. Bryant recently underwent a surgery in his right knee in Germany and said he’ll return ahead of schedule. But things have taken a turn for the worse.

The procedure targets proteins or molecules called interleukin that cause inflammatory responses. Blood is taken from the affected area of a patient and spun in a centrifuge, allowing antagonists to be removed to create a serum that is injected back into the targeted area.

“He said it went great, feels good,” Coach Mike D’Antoni said Tuesday, the Lakers and Bryant declining to provide anything additional.

While D’Antoni and Kobe agree that the surgery went great, and that his knee is better now, Bryant says he needs and additional three weeks of hard conditioning for him to return to the NBA. He said he needs the time to regain his flexibility and explosiveness.

A day after saying he was ahead of schedule, Bryant asked everyone to stop focusing on a timeline. “There is no official timeline”. Judging by the attitude of the Lakers’ shooting guard on Wednesday, he is not about to rush into a return and risk further injury.

The Lakers are 16 days away from their season opener on October 29th, against the Clippers. When asked whether he would be ready for the game, “I didn’t say anything,” Bryant said. “I just keep it all open right now. I don’t know why you guys are so hell bent on timelines. That’s ridiculous. It’s entertaining to me. When I’m ready, I’m ready.”

The Lakers medical team have given the green light for Bryant to start playing, but he feels he needs three more weeks of conditioning to get back into shape. While he’s able to run, Bryant admits he hasn’t given his 100% when it comes to jumping. Jumping is the best way to test one’s Achilles Heel.

He needs to be able to jump, to dunk, and to get explosive.

He feels he’s walking on “Bambi legs” at the moment. “I have the green light now,” Bryant said regarding medical clearance to start his serious conditioning. “It’s a matter of having the flexibility and strength to run at high speeds out here on the court.”

Bryant also feels that his heel and knees are not the only parts of his body he needs to get in shape. He says he needs to lose some fat too!

“I got to get my fat a** in shape,” Bryant said. “I had six months of eating whatever the hell I wanted to eat and not running and stuff like that caught up to me. I have to get in shape.”

And he sounds anxious to get started.

Is 3 weeks of conditioning enough? To both get into shape and maximize his flexibility and mobility? Bryant certainly feels so and no one’s going to argue with The Mamba’s appraisal of himself. If he says three weeks are enough, it’s enough.

He has progressed toward running his fully body weight on a weight-bearing treadmill. To maximize flexibility and mobility in his Achilles tendon, Bryant has performed calf raises throughout the day.

So, it’s expected that Bryant will be back sometime around mid November. While this means he’ll miss the first two weeks of the season, it also means a fitter and stronger Bryant. Since it’s a full 82 game season, the Lakers will want Bryant to make sure that he takes as much time as he needs to return.

While Bryant is extremely confident of the surgery and his 3 week plan, will it be enough for the 35 year old to regain his form? After all, he’s the Lakers’ key player and this is a season in which he needs to prove that he’s still got it. Will The Black Mamba be able to do so? We have to wait for three weeks to know the answer.