There’s is no explaining the recovery process of one Kobe Bryant.
It’s been said before, almost to the point where it’s played out. But not quite. Because we’re still enraptured, still fascinated by the Black Mamba’s borderline immortality, his self-healing-like powers.
To be crystal clear, I’m not kidding. I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life—save for my fondness of chicken fingers. Kobe is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, with an unparalleled desire to win and an inexplicably amazing tendency to defy the laws of logic.
Enter the reason behind my latest rant.
Per Jonathan Hartzell of NBA.com, Kobe said that the surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles was “unique” and therefore allowed him to shatter the normal timetable behind a recovery such as this:
“The surgical procedure was different […] and because of that the recovery has been different,” Bryant said in the southern city of Shenzhen. “The normal timetable for recovery from an Achilles, we’ve shattered that. Three-and-a-half months I can already walk just fine, I’m lifting weights with the Achilles just fine and that’s different. So we don’t know what that timetable is going to be. It’s kind of new territory for us all.”’
Please, oh please, give me some of that Mamba blood, juice, gel or whatever the hell it is that makes Kobe who he is. It has to be incredible, because it simply has to be. Anything that gets Kobe ready for opening night after suffering an injury like this just has to be.
No, Kobe didn’t say he would be ready for the first game of the season, but it’s implied. Not because of anything he made reference to really, but because he’s Kobe. Shattering timetables, thresholds of pain and general human limits is what he does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTKfC7Pjicw
Realistically, Kobe won’t come back to drop 30 points in 30-plus minutes a game. This is the Mamba, however, so it can’t be ruled out. I envision Mike D’Antoni and the Los Angeles Lakers handling this situation with the utmost of caution. To be fair, I also had my doubts that Kobe would be ready for opening night. Make of that what you will.
Regardless of whether Kobe is ready for the first of the season or not, he’s something else. Entirely. And I really mean that. His drive, his refusal to accept “can’t” as an answer is unprecedented. As I said before, it also can’t be explained. It just can’t.
Whenever he goes down, and doesn’t pop right back up, there always appears to be an innovative procedure or “unique” recovery method that allows him to return sooner than anyone expected, and probably should.
Will that happen again this time around?
Let me answer that with another question: Is this even a question at this point?
Everything we’ve heard points to Kobe being ahead of schedule, just like always. All the banter, hearsay and candid interviews suggest that he’s not far off from returning, just like always.
Still, we’re inclined to doubt that he can prove us wrong again, just like always. Which makes me wonder how long it will actually take him to prove us wrong again.
Just. Like. Always.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
