When Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon this past April in the final seconds of a game against the Golden State Warriors, many expected him to be sidelined for up to a year. So it came as a pleasant surprise this afternoon, when the 15-time All-Star NBA player posted a video on Instagram showing him running on a treadmill. As ProBasketballTalk explains, “If you’re unsure of exactly what you’re looking at, that’s Kobe Bryant running on an anti-gravity treadmill that allows the user to run on less than their full body weight. Clearly Kobe is advancing in his rehab and wanted to share that information with his fans.”
The clip itself may be boring, but what it signals about Bryant’s recovery — and his chances of playing in the opening game on October 29 — is thrilling the point guard’s fans.