Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is well ahead of schedule with his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon, and he hopes to return to full activity by mid-August, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles.
Bryant tore his Achilles late in a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12. The injury torpedoed the Lakers' chances at a playoff run, and they went on to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Bryant said last month that he hopes to be back by November or December at the latest, but there's still an outside chance that he will return in time for opening night. In fact, Dr. Robert Klapper, an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles, proclaimed Wednesday that Bryant would be ready to go on opening night.
When Bryant first suffered the injury, some thought that he could miss a full year due to his age and all of the wear and tear on his body. But Bryant is a different animal, and it shouldn't surprise anybody if he's out there when the Lakers open the 2013-14 season.
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