Bryant has been fully cleared to resume all basketball activities, the Lakers have announced. Bryant has not played since rupturing his left Achilles tendon in a game against the Warriors on April 12.
Whenever Bryant plays in a game is up to him, according to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding. The Dec. 6 game against the Kings has been floated as a possibility, but it could be earlier or later depending on how Bryant feels. He was cleared for practice Saturday but did not take part in contact drills or practice against a defender.
Bryant still needs to test his ankle joint, which was immobilized for months while the tendon healed. But do not expect an extended Derrick Rose-type absence. Bryant has said he is shooting for an early-December return, and this recent development means that timetable could still be in effect.