Report: Kobe Bryant to Have Knee Checked in Germany

Kobe Bryant is in Europe for both business and pleasure. After his vacation in France ends, Bryant reportedly plans to return to Germany for a knee checkup, before resuming high-intensity workouts in preparation for a comeback next season. Per the LA Daily News and ESPN:

Bryant will begin training next Tuesday, the Lakers star revealed in a tweet, after staying sidelined for the past five months because of a season-ending fractured left knee injury.

Bryant traveled with family members to France for a short vacation this week, according to a source familiar with his itinerary. The Lakers said they were unaware of Bryant’s travel arrangements and deferred questions to Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, who didn’t respond to efforts through phone and e-mail for comment.

The Lakers were aware, however, since last week that Bryant planned to postpone his exit meeting with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, who will talk with the rest of the team’s roster Thursday and Friday. Bryant plans to talk with Kupchak at some point in a few weeks to discuss the Lakers efforts to rebuild after missing the playoffs for the sixth time in franchise history and cementing the franchise’s worst record since moving to Los Angeles 54 years ago.

Bryant missed the first 19 games while rehabbing his left Achilles tendon. Before his knee injury, Bryant appeared in six games, averaging 13.8 points on 42.5 percent shooting, 6.3 assists and 5.7 turnovers in 29.5 minutes. Bryant is under contract through the 2015-16 season for $48.5 million.

Kobe Bryant has been cleared to resume running and shooting and will begin an intense, six-month training program next week upon his return from a short family trip to Europe, sources with knowledge of the situation said.

Bryant has been ramping up his activity level in recent weeks as he continues to recover from a fracture in his left knee suffered during the Lakers’ victory Dec. 17 at Memphis, just six games into his return from a ruptured Achilles

While he is in Europe, Bryant will visit the clinic in Germany where he had the platelet-rich plasma treatment known as Orthokineon on his knee, according to a source.

The visit to the clinic is a check-up to ensure all is structurally sound with his knee before he resumes intense training.