One man who certainly has a large following in China is Kobe Bryant, who has retuned to the hardwood, and practiced with the Los Angeles Lakers in California. The five-time NBA champion was taking part in his second full workout since retunring from injury.

Kobe still wasn’t sure when he’d be back in uniform, but was grateful to take the next step in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon. While he isn’t setting a return date, he acknowledges he could see himself returning to the Lakers later this month. Coach Mike D’Antoni said Bryant will return whenever he says he’s ready, although him being back for the Lakers next game against Golden State on Friday is very unlikely. The fourth-leading scorer in NBA history hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles tendon in April. He did several weeks of conditioning work before returning to practice. Bryant says he could contribute something to the Lakers right now, but he wants to make sure he’s ready to play for the long haul when he returns for his 18th NBA season.

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