It has nearly been eight months since Kobe Bryant limped off the Laker’s home game with a badly torn Achilles tendon, which put his future to doubt. He found it difficult to keep his temperament when he got back to the court next.
Although, his comeback wasn’t an exceptional one, he simply couldn’t stress the importance on getting back to playing the sport he loves the most. These months of steady recovery helped him get back to the game.
Bryant scored a meager nine points and eight rebounds in the match. This is rather low, by Bryant’s standards. Amir Johnson had an excellent game by scoring a personal record of 32 points in Toronto Raptor’s victory over Los Angeles on Sunday night. They defeated the Los Angeles, 106-94. Kobe Bryant’s 18th season 28 minutes on the court seemed to be sufficient to convince the fans that he is only likely to improve in the coming games.
“I know my rhythm is out of sync. But, there has to be a start somewhere and I think this one is good”, he said.
Nick Young scored 19 points for the Lakers. His points turned out to be crucial at the end of the game with help from injured MVP Steve Nash.
Fans cheered Kobe’s every move on the court and went easy on his missteps. Bryant was touched by the reception given by his fans and the encouragement provided by his team mates.
The crowd cheered every time Bryant touched the ball. Bryant also added his signature 22-foot face-up jumper later in the period, but definitely showed his rustiness and unfamiliarity with his teammates.
“You try to control your emotions as much as possible, but it is difficult not to think about the hard work done”, Bryant said.
The Lakers were never leading throughout the game and Toronto would have been glad to snap their five-game losing streak.