Kobe Bryant declared that his knee is 100 percent healthy and he will be ready to return stronger next season.
Bryant, who is currently in Brazil to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup, said in an interview on Brazilian television that he is fit to return to action, while also expressing excitement now that most teams are already counting them out.
"I'm 100 percent," Bryant said, Fox Sports reported. "This summer I'm training really hard. The organization is working really hard to make sure we have a great team. It's the best time when people count you out."
The Lakers had a disastrous 2013-14 NBA seasons wherein they only won 27 games after playing without Bryant in all but six games. The 16-time All-Star missed the earlier part of the season as he was still recovering from an Achilles tendon surgery, and then sustained a fractured knee just in sixth game last season.
Bryant did not hide his frustration over their team's performance last season, but the 35-year-old is still hoping that their executives will be able to make the necessary moves to turn the team into contenders next season.
The Lakers might have just three players in contract this summer if Nick Young decides to opt out of his deal and Kendall Marshall's contract will not be exercised. Bryant, along with Steve Nash and Robert Sacre, are the only three players with guaranteed contract next season.
"We only have three players from last year's team signed to contracts right now, including me. We don't have a coach. It's literally like starting from scratch," Bryant said. ""It's not really what we have to do better than we did last year, since we have to build the right team to win."
The five-time NBA champion also admitted that he is already nearing the end of his career, saying that he is leaning towards retiring after two more seasons.
"I only plan to play two more years," said Bryant, who signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension in November.
And as for the team's next coach, Bryant said that their front office executives have a tough decision to make, saying that there are only few great coaches left in the league.
"That's a very, very tough call to make because unfortunately there are very few great coaches left," Bryant said. "It's a very, very short list. We're really going to take our time to pick the right person."
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