Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant continues to keep his fans updated on his left Achilles tear recovery, with the latest news being that he's walking without the use of crutches.

Bryant had surgery on his torn Achilles back in April and was expected to be limited to crutches for months. The fact that he's currently off crutches is a good sign moving forward in regards to his availability next season.

Bryant is expected to continue rehab but has been outspoken about his hopes of being able to suit up by the Lakers season opener. The journey back to the court is sure to be a difficult road, but Bryant has shown much determination and it's all possible that he'll be back by October the latest.

Though the news of Bryant's recovery continues to be a positive light for the Lakers, they're still dealing with the likelihood that they may lose center Dwight Howard to free agency this offseason.

The loss of Howard is surely not something the Lakers want to have in their future, but Bryant respects his want to see what other teams are willing to offer.

"For me, you kind of let him do his due diligence and then move in and talk to him and figure out if this is a place he wants to be," Bryant said to ESPNLA.com. "We all want him here. But then that's when the selling begins [after Howard is courted by other teams]. You don't start the selling process right before he goes and does all this stuff. You want to get the last word. You want to have the final word and the closing argument.

"I'll give him a little opening statement, but then I have to make sure I have the final word."

Howard has several teams vying for his attention, including the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks, all while expressing his interest in the promising Rockets.

He'll become a free agent on July 1 and will have plenty of time to weigh his options before the 2013-14 season.

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