Kobe Bryant gave his Los Angeles Lakers teammates a huge boost on Tuesday when he said he could see himself returning to competitive action later this month.

The 35-year-old shooting guard has been sidelined since mid-April with a torn left Achilles' tendon but he looked very much like his old self as he practiced hard with the Lakers for a second time in four days.

"I'm pleasantly surprised how I'm moving," Bryant, a 15-time All-Star and a five-time NBA champion, told reporters in El Segundo. "I felt fine.

"I've been doing a great deal of conditioning so I didn't feel tired. I just went out there and played, tried to do what I normally do, try to figure­ out some things about my game, what I can do at this stage, what I can't do at this stage.

Bryant, known throughout his career for his determination to play through pain and various other setbacks, said his ankle felt good.

"We did a really good job," he said. "The range of motion is good. The big thing, obviously, is after today (to) see how it feels later on in the day and see how it feels tomorrow."

Asked whether he could envision himself playing for the Lakers in an NBA game later this month, Bryant replied, "Yeah, I can."

Head coach Mike D'Antoni said Bryant would not play on Friday when the Lakers are next in action, at home to the Golden State Warriors.

The Los Angeles team will then have four more games before the end of this month - against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and the Detroit Pacers on November 29.

Reuters - Global Times