Kobe Bryant provides too many definitions to the vigorous worker.

He obsesses over basketball. Bryant finds various nuances to enhance his game and prolong his longevity. He follows rehab procedures to an exact science so that he can recover as swiftly as possible. Each championship ring and scoring accomplishment only enhances his hunger for more. Bryant’s torn left Achilles tendon that will sideline him for at least another five to eight months has only built his resolve.

Bryant’s achieved all that by learning how to temper his uber competitiveness into a philosophy he once learned from former Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

“Mental toughness is really about not getting too high or getting too low,” Bryant said in a recent video compilation put together by Youtube user theperson18. “It’s about staying pretty even keel. That’s kind of the trick to it not to get emotionally attached to the situation.”
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As part of his ongoing quest to promote mental health awareness, Lakers forward Metta World Peace and the Los Angeles County Department of Health have partnered up in a campaign beginning today that features his likeness on various billboards and posters throughout Los Angeles within the next month.

With the help of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the World Peace billboards, bulletins and posters will appear at MTA shelters, depots, buses and trainers with a message called “Talk it out” with versions in both English and Spanish. The signs will also have contact information for LACDMH’s 24/7 phone line (1-800-854-7771).

“It’s unnecessary stress if you’re holding things in,” World Peace said in a statement. “It can just bring unnecessary stress to your heart and to your mind. When you can release it and talk about it, you feel better – and that’s how it should be with anything.”

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Dwight Howard was advised in a doctor visit on Wednesday that surgery isn’t necessary to treat a torn labrum on his right shoulder. Howard consulted with Dr. James Tibone of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Group before vowing he’d

Whether Howard resigns with the Lakers remains another issue. But Howard’s visit with Dr. James Tibone of the Kerlan Orthopaedic Group marked the first step in his vow to ensure he spends this offseason fully recovering from the torn labrum in his right shoulder and a surgically repaired back.

Howard originally injured his shoulder Jan. 4 against the Clippers only to aggravate it a week later against Denver. He sat out for six games to prevent the shoulder from worsening, a decision that prompted both Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni and Kobe Bryant suggested Howard should play through it. Howard took offense to such an assertion considering the long-term implications an injured shoulder could provide only months after coming off of back surgery.

Howard averaged 17.1 points and a league-high 12.4 rebounds, but those numbers marked his lowest since the 2006-07 season. Howard attributed that dropoff mostly to the decreased conditioning stemmed from his back surgery and the persistent soreness his shoulder felt after contact.

Howard wore a Posture Shirt, manufactured by Santa Ana-based company Alignmed, which balanced his muscle and shoulder joints together. That made it easier for Howard to absorb contact. Although he reported improvement in his shoulder as the season progressed, Howard conceded he still felt pain during and after games.

Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com

They may have argued over each other’s roles. Dwight Howard may have griped about Kobe Bryant’s shot selection or the Lakers’ star questioning his injury. Bryant may have griped about how Howard handles adversity and his belief that his charismatic personality clouds his overall focus.

But the tension between Bryant and Howard never reached the level Bryant once shared with Shaquille O’Neal. That’s why Howard hardly hesitated in visiting Bryant at his Newport Beach home days after suffering a season-ending torn left Achilles’ tendon. It turns out that marked a turning point in the pair’s relationship.

“I think having Dwight come over at that time, really strengthened our bond. He went through a situation where his back surgery, he was all by himself,” Bryant said. “He had nobody there for him. I think he sees … me going through this and doesn’t want me to experience the same thing that he experienced. I see that, I understand that and I respect that. My love for him grew a lot that day.”

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Plenty of disappointment surrounds Steve Blake.

His first three seasons with the Lakers has coincided with early playoff exits. In what marked his most productive year with the Lakers, Blake’s otherwise successful season ended with a strained right hamstring that kept him out of the team’s Game 3 and 4 losses in their first-round defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.

But there appears to be a silver lining as Blake heads into the offseason. He doesn’t believe his injury to be serious.

“There’s no surgery at all,” Blake said. “It’s just time. Probably in two or three weeks, I’ll be back to normal and start to strengthen it again.”
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The moment the topic involving Metta World Peace came up, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak immediately smiled and chuckled.

The question centered on whether Kupchak could sense if World Peace will exercise his $7.7 million player option. But Kupchak’s mind focused elsewhere.

“I’m still trying to get over the Cookie Monster comment,” Kupchak said Tuesday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo.

World Peace somehow compared his want to wear a Cookie Monster T-Shirt to his exit interview with Kupchak and coach Mike D’Antoni to Jason Collins’ willingness to publicly announce he is gay through an article in Sports Illustrated.

“Whether it’s a free country or not, you should be free to act as you want to do as long as it’s not violent,” World Peace said. “No matter what it is. I came here in a Cookie Monster shirt because I wanted to, and I was going to wear the pants. But I thought you guys were going to judge me. I was going to wear the hat too. But I thought you guys would judge me. I didn’t want Mitch [Kupchak] to judge me. So that’s why I didn’t wear the hats and the pants. But I should’ve wore it. You should be free to do and act how you want to act.”

Of course, word got back to Kupchak about World Peace’s fear that he would judge him if he wore the whole Cookie Monster outfit.

“I would never judge Metta,” Kupchak said with a smirk. “I like the shirt.”

RELATED:

Dwight Howard to visit doctor Wednesday to evaluate injured right shoulder

Mitch Kupchak “optimistic” Dwight Howard will return, but admits uncertainties ahead

Pau Gasol said Mitch Kupchak acknowledged possibility he may not return

Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com

Dwight Howard has plenty on his mind beyond his pending free agency.

He also plans to see a doctor Wednesday to check up on the torn labrum in his right shoulder.

“Hopefully I don’t have to have surgery,” Howard said. “But whatever the case may be, I’m going to do whatever I can to get myself right this offseason.”
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Time passed in the last 48 hours that entailed Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak listening, asking questions and providing feedback.

On and on the process went in the Lakers’ exit interviews where players ranging from Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol provided both positive and negative feedback surrounding the Lakers’ 2012-13 season. Considering that once-hyped campaign surrounding four future Hall of Famers ended in a tireless list of injuries and a first-round sweep, Kupchak’s work to help restore the Lakers to championship greatness again just begins.

What will he do?

“When you lose everything, is in play,” Kupchak said Tuesday at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo. “”
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Before settling into his seat in front of a horde of microphones and cameras, Kobe Bryant entered the Lakers’ media room on a scooter.

It personified his progress as he’s slowly but surely progressed from a season-ending torn left Achilles. Nearly 2 ½ weeks have passed since suffering what he described as a “sneaky injury”, which kept him out of the season and dashed the Lakers’ championship fortunes. Since then, he’s gone from crutches to wearing a walking boot and had his stitches removed on Wednesday. He’ll likely remain immobilized for at least another two weeks. And the Lakers expect him to return within six to nine months.

But for a player who averaged 27.3 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting and six assists despite injuries, heavy minutes and Father Time creeping up, Bryant sounded confident he can return for the Lakers’ season opener beginning late October. He also sounded optimistic about the big picture.

“We could win a championship,” Bryant said.
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Lakers forward Pau Gasol talks to reporters during an NBA basketball news conference in El Segundo on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Pau Gasol may have played his last game as a Laker.

Gasol talked for over an hour with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Mike D’Antoni, and the persisting theme involved uncertainty.

“There’s a possibility I’ll be gone,” Gasol said. “There’s a possibility I don’t know the exact percentages. But I understand either way.”

Gasol’s used to this after all. He’s been the subject of trade rumors ever since the Lakers traded him two years ago in a trade that would’ve sent Chris Paul to the Lakers. But the NBA nixed the deal, which Gasol described as “pretty random.”

The Lakers refused to deal Gasol this season. But with harsher luxury taxes on the horizon stemmed from the new labor deal, Gasol’s $19.3 million contract could be too burdensome. The Lakers may waive him using the amnesty provision or a trade. But Gasol said he refused to press the issue on his future.

“It’s hard to tell,” Gasol said. “The team has shown they would like to keep me and understand a lot of factors. Those factors cannot be ignored. It’s still early. Mitch has to talk to ownership and makes a lot of decisions.”

Gasol said executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss and executive vice president of business operations Jeanie Buss will have a final say on all decisions.

It appeared Dwight Howard’s future could tie into whether the Lakers keep Gasol. The Lakers could be without two critical post players if they deal Gasol and Howard decides to leave. Keeping both could sap the Lakers’ finances. But Gasol sensed from his conversation with Kupchak the thought process isn’t “100 percent attached to” whether Howard returns or not.

Gasol also acknowledged initial frustrations working with Lakers coach Mike D”Antoni, who featured him as a reserve for six games and featured him as a stretch forward. But Gasol sounded content with his late-season role, which featured him starting alongside Howard both as a post player and as a faciliator.

“I prefer to stay,” Gasol said. “But I’m prepared if I’m not.”

Gasol has other things on his mind beyond his future.

He plans to visit doctors soon on the plantar fascia in right foot and knee tendonosis, injuries that contributed him to missing 33 games. Gasol also plans to release a photography book later this year that delves into off-court life in hopes to inspire others.

But as it has been for the past two years, uncertainty awaits.

“I prefer to stay,” Gasol said. “I’ve always been a loyal guy. I feel like I belong to the Lakers.”

Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com