The Los Angeles Lakers may be without their scoring leader when the regular season begins, but Kobe Bryant has reported that his injured foot is improving. Bryant said he is not practicing, and is not sure about his status for the Lakers' opener, but things are improving via his Facebook page:
Getting stronger. Not sure what it means for tomorrow night just yet but it's much better than it was a week ago when I could barely walk. I hate not practicing. It drives me crazy! The training staff has been great. Mr. Laker, Gary Vitti, and the great Judy Seto (the first female trainer in the NBA) have been working their magic.
Bryant injured his foot in a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings more than a week ago. He stepped on a teammate's foot in the loss and hasn't seen the court since.
The Lakers are still trying to build some cohesion with a revamped roster. Steve Nash and Dwight Howard were added over the offseason, and Los Angeles went 0-8 in the preseason, as the team worked out the kinks. Howard missed most of the tuneup action, but should be ready to play on Tuesday night.
It appears that Bryant joining his new teammates against the Mavericks is unlikely at this point, but the veteran has been known to play through tough injuries many times throughout his career.