Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant said he is "sore," but he fully expects to be back in September to get ready for his 20th NBA season.
Bryant, who underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder on Wednesday, said Thursday night that his rehab will take "a lot of patience," but he expects to be back for the 2015-16 campaign.
"Yeah, that's the plan," Bryant told ESPN as he prepares for a road to recovery that includes nine months of rehab.
Coming out of surgery after injuring himself in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans last week, Bryant said he is still in pain.
"Sore, but it's OK," he said.
Bryant is out for the season for the third straight campaign despite taking drastic measures with head coach Byron Scott to ensure his health and ward off fatigue.
Bryant has changed up his regimen and routinely missed practices and games this season, but an injury still caught up to the 36-year-old shooting guard anyway.
When Bryant, who is under contract through next season where he will make $25 million, went down with yet another season-ending injury, there was a lot of speculation in the media that he may retire.
The five-time NBA champion said nothing that the media speculates factors into his decision to come back for year No. 20.
"I don't really listen much to what people have to say, to be honest with you," he said.
While there has been a lot of speculation that Scott playing Bryant a team-high 35.4 minutes on average in the beginning of the season led to the injury, general manager Mitch Kupchak shot down that notion as Scott ended up cutting his minutes as the season wore on.
"I don't think that had anything to do with anything, [and] certainly not the injury," Kupchak told the site while adding he expects Bryant to return next year.
Bryant was at the Staples Center on Thursday to catch up with former teammate Pau Gasol as the Lakers went on to snap a nine-game losing streak with a 123-118 win over the Chicago Bulls in double overtime.
The Lakers are 13-34 this season and in last place in the Pacific Division.
Bryant's 19th season saw him play just 35 contests where he averaged 22.3 points per game.
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