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Bryant's recovery 'going well' as NBA star lands in Dubai
NBA superstar Kobe Bryant touched down in Dubai on Wednesday ahead of a busy three-day trip to promote awareness of diabetes in the UAE.
Presented at a lavish ceremony in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Bryant's first official engagement saw him speak about his current health situation, the importance of eating well and his hopes of getting to know the culture in the UAE.
The LA Lakers shooting guard is currently on the injured list at the moment as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon that kept him out of the playoffs last season and could potentially compromise his next season with the Lakers.
One of the hot talking points of the summer has been whether Bryant will pull off another remarkable feat of human endurance and return to the court before the start of the new season.
The 35-year-old was said to be ahead of schedule and he was keen to tell his fans that his rehabilitation was on track. Ominous signs for the rest of the NBA.
“The injury is doing well, it’s getting stronger and stronger every day which is all you can ask for,” said the star. “Now it’s about recovery. I can push it harder and go at it one day at a time, it's about shortening the recovery time at the moment, hopefully it will be OK.”
Injury or not, Bryant was at ease in his introductory press conference, speaking of how his life has been affected by diabetes - both his grandfather suffered from the condition - and his role as someone that promotes healthy living simply by being on court every day.
Despite 17 years in the NBA, Bryant is still one of the world’s major players and was third in the league in scoring last year with 27.3 points per game before injury struck.
While promoting healthy eating and exercise as part of an awareness push for diabetes, Bryant also acknowledged how 'veterans' like himself, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash provide inspiration for healthy living every day.
“People need to want more for themselves,” said Bryant. "From a health standpoint hopefully I can help show them, show what it is to be active. I feel like once you’re on a court, you’re taking it beyond the arena, doing more than just running up hand down on the court in gym shorts.”
Bryant will be inspiring youth to keep healthy and stay fit in Abu Dhabi on Thursday when he will coach a basketball-skills clinic at the state-of-the-art GEMS American Academy campus in Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi.
Twenty lucky children were chosen from the GEMS schools community and another 20 were chosen through competitions by DMCC.
The climax of the weekend is a celebrity basketball game at the American University in Dubai on September 27. A celebrity team coached by Kobe Bryant will take on the Real Madrid basketball legends.
Will Bryant exhibit his famous competitive spirit even in an exhibition? “Kobe intensity? What are you talking about,” he joked.
Asked whether coaching could become something for him to consider after retirement, Bryant said: “No. There’s too many divas.”
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