USA Today Sports
Kobe Bryant is one of the most popular players in the NBA. Basketball is now a global game, so that makes Bryant one of the most popular players in the world.
The legendary shooting guard is currently in China doing some promotional work for Nike. (You can imagine the crowds he draws when he does things like this in different countries.) On this latest trip, one Chinese fan was so overtaken by the sight of the future hall-of-famer, that he just couldn’t keep it together:
That’s the kind of impact the mere presence some of these pro athletes have across the global. In the United States many citizens view players like Kobe as just another person. His status of celebrity is probably a lot higher in China than it is here.
We saw the kind of publicity the Dream Team got back in the early nineties, so you can imagine the type of worldwide coverage players get today with social media and other advancements in technology.
As far as the Black Mamba is concerned, he says he’s going to shatter the recovery timetable for achilles tendon surgery. The veteran guard is said to be well ahead of schedule with his rehab and on pace to return well in advance of where once thought. Still though, you’d think the Los Angeles Lakers will want to be cautious with their aging superstar.
Bryant is going to need a lot of help this season and I’m not sure where it’s going to come from on this current Lakers’ roster. It seems obvious they’re a player or two away from being serious contenders in the 2013-14 Western Conference.
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