HONOLULU >> Well before anyone else stepped on the court, Kobe Bryant entered the gym and performed something that has defined his 19-year NBA career. He shot the basketball.
Bryant performed that routine by himself for an hour before the Lakers began training camp Tuesday afternoon at the Stan Sheriff Center, marking his first practice since needing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder nine months ago.
“That’s where the tough shots — the overtime shots and fourth-quarter shots that he makes comes from,” Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell said. “He might be fooling us all with the sling on his shoulder.