Kobe Bryant limped out of Philips Arena the last time he visited the place.
It had nothing to do with the torn Achilles tendon injury, from which he has recently returned.
The Lakers star got tangled up with the Hawks’ Dahntay Jones that night attempting a last-second shot and suffered a severe ankle sprain in a March 13 loss. A month later, Bryant’s season came to an abrupt end when he torn his left Achilles in a game against the Warriors on April 12. He missed the final four regular-season games, the playoffs and the first 19 games this season.
But now, Kobe’s back.
The Lakers are in town Monday’s to meet the Hawks. It will be the fifth game for the 35-year-old Bryant after missing nearly eight months with the injury. Since his return Dec. 8, Bryant is averaging 13.5 points, seven assists and 4.5 rebounds. The Lakers are 1-3 with him in the lineup, the lone victory coming Saturday at the Bobcats.
“I don’t know what I can and can’t do,” Bryant told reporters after a 21-point performance. “I’m just trying to measure it. I didn’t know if I could drive to the basket. Every game has been like that.”
Hawks Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins knows all about coming back from a torn Achilles. He snapped his right Achilles on Jan. 28, 1992, at the age of 32. Wilkins missed 10 months, losing the final 40 games of that season and the first 11 of the next.
Wilkins’ return came Nov. 6 and he lit up the Knicks up for 30 points to start what the forward calls his best all-around season.
“I wanted to have a training camp,” Wilkins said. “I went to training camp where I had a really great chance to test it and see where I was at. But it wasn’t until my first game of the season when I went down hard and I grabbed my leg and said, ‘Shoot, no pain.’
“I said if I’m going to pop this thing again, I’m going to do it on my terms. I’m going all out. My first game I had 30 points and shot 50 percent from the floor (13 of 26). I said, ‘I’m back.’”
Wilkins averaged 28.1 points during the 1991-92 season before the injury. He returned to average 29.9 points during the 1992-93 season, the second highest average of his career, just behind the 30.3 points he had in 1985-86.
Wilkins said he was not worried about his offensive skills upon his return. It was on defense where he was first concerned whether he would still have the same mobility and explosiveness.
“I worked every day, twice a day, for 10 months. I was determined to get back at the level I was,” Wilkins said.
The Hawks dropped a 105-103 loss to the Byrant-less Lakers Nov. 3, the third game of the season. The Hawks trailed by 21 points in the first half. They came all the way back to tie the game 103-103 with 35 seconds remaining before losing on a pair of free throws by Pau Gasol.
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