Kobe Bryant coy about return aftet practice with Lakers

Sam Amick | USA TODAY Sports

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Kobe Bryant is back – at practice, anyways.

Yet while the Los Angeles Lakers star had a successful second session with his team after his Achilles tendon tear in April put his storied career in so much peril, it remains unclear when he may return to game action.

When asked if he could see himself playing in the month of November, Bryant smiled and said, "I saw myself playing today."

When pressed about playing in a game as opposed to practice, he said, "Yeah, yeah I can."

The Lakers host the Golden State Warriors on Friday, though coach Mike D'Antoni said he sees it as impossible that Bryant would return so soon. Because it's the always-mysterious and ambitious Bryant, though, D'Antoni quickly qualified his statement.

"Well, nothing is impossible, but that would surprise me – yes," D'Antoni said.

In recent days, the Lakers coaching staff had pegged a wide window of time – from Friday to a Dec. 21 game at Golden State – in which they expected to have Bryant back in the fold. As D'Antoni knows, the questions will keep coming on a daily basis until the five-time champion is back on the floor. The Lakers, who are 5-7 without Bryant thus far, host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, then head out on a three-game road trip through Washington (Nov. 26), Brooklyn (Nov. 27) and Detroit (Nov. 29).

Yet any setback could change the course of his comeback, meaning it's pivotal that he continue to make progress. This practice certainly qualified.

Bryant took part in full-court activities with the team before the media was allowed in to watch approximately a half-hour of half-court play. Bryant had bad moments – an air ball on a three-point attempt from the right wing that may or may not have had anything to do with the recovery from such a devastating leg injury or the ankle pain that has continued as a side effect. He also had some vintage moments, among them a step-back jumper from near the top of the key over Xavier Henry that led to a familiar Bryant grin. Bryant had spun the ball in his hands sizing up the defense, then gone left, rerouted to the right, created space with a slight elbow shove and elevated for the shot.

All in all, Bryant said he's feeling good again. And that, all things considered, was a good thing for him and his Lakers.

"There's always a much greater appreciation for (playing)," Bryant said. "You know what I mean? Because you understand the mortality that comes along with it, and kind of being on that doorstep, so there's always a sense of enjoyment when you actually come back. It felt good. It felt good. Put the jersey on, you walk out for practice, and it felt like it was '97 again and I was getting my first start as a pro."

Bryant said he has not targeted a return date yet, but emphasized that he'll remain patient.

"Of course, it's definitely something where you're kind of chomping at the bit a little bit, but we've come so far (that) I want to make sure – we all do – that when I step out there we're ready to go long-haul, and it's not something that you have to continue to have to monitor," Bryant said. "I just went out there and just played, just tried to do what I normally do, tried to figure some things out about my game. What can I do at this stage, what I can't do at this stage? And kind of figure my way through it. It felt good to compete."

The question once he gets back, of course, will be whether the Lakers should be considered legitimate playoff contenders.

"I don't know," he said when asked to assess the Lakers' place in the parity-filled Western Conference. "We've still got to figure it out, because the West is obviously very deep, and the important thing is not to focus on the West is looking like or what the field is. You've got to just focus on yourself, just play the schedule that you have and win as many games as you can and then let the dust settle. You can't look at others and what they're doing and feel like you're playing catch-up all the time."

Said D'Antoni: "He's a little ways away, but he looked good."