With Kobe Bryant returning to the practice floor for the Los Angeles Lakers last week, all the speculation has started to kick into high gear with everyone wondering when he’ll finally be back in the starting lineup.

Although no return date has been set by the five-time NBA champion, Bryant was a full participant in Lakers practice once again on Tuesday and had already participated in full-contact, full-court scrimmages according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding via Twitter:

Kobe is playing halfcourt on the starting unit now with media in gym. I’m told he already played full-contact, full-court scrimmaging… — KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) November 19, 2013

With no more restrictions for the veteran shooting guard and Kobe already playing as if preparing for a game with full-contact, many will start to believe Kobe will be returning against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at the Staples Center.

Fortunately for Bryant and the Lakers, the team will have two more days to prepare for the Warriors. Although it may still be a stretch to see Bryant return against Golden State, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.

The most realistic return date at this point in time may still be on Christmas Day against the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat, but don’t be surprised to see the future Hall of Famer return much sooner.

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