Mother Nature tore his left Achilles tendon. Father Time has tried to slow him down.
No matter.
Kobe Bryant still remains intent on defying the odds by returning to the court, though he admittedly doesn’t know when or how exactly he’ll play. But a video game that prides itself on providing realistic game play believes Bryant will pick up right where he left off.
A trailer for NBA2K14 that Visual Concepts released shows Bryant throwing down a one-handed dunk over Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose. Not only does the video game show optimism that Bryant could nearly replicate last season’s output, where he averaged 27.3 points on 46.3 percent shooting, six assists and 5.6 rebounds partly on his freakish athleticism. The video game predicts he will at least be in full form by the time the Lakers host the Chicago Bulls Feb. 9 at Staples Center.
Not bad for the 25th best player in the NBA.
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com