SACRAMENTO, Calif. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . -- Kobe Bryant will make his long-awaited return from a torn left Achilles tendon when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. In a dramatic video posted on his Facebook page before the Lakers played at Sacramento on Friday night, Bryant set his much-anticipated comeback date. The video, which was also uploaded to the teams Facebook page, was titled: "Seasons of Legend. Lakers announce Kobes return." The video shows Bryants No. 24 jersey flapping in the wind. There is rain, sleet, snow and lightning for nearly 2 minutes. At one point, his jersey tears. Sunshine breaks through the clouds, and the video fades to black. Finally, words flash across the screen that read, "The Legend Continues...December 8." "Thats something special right there," Lakers teammate Nick Young quipped when a reporter showed him the video on his smartphone in the locker room. How effective Bryant will be against top-tier competition is the last lingering question in his return. Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said Bryant will likely be eased back into the lineup, though he declined to discuss how many minutes he will play in his first game. Asked what his expectations are for Bryant this season, DAntoni said, "That hell be a dominant player." "He can play any way," DAntoni said. "He can play below the rim, above the rim, the side of the rim. The guy can play any way. Hell figure out how hell be effective and hell come at you with everything hes got." Bryant did not travel with the team to Sacramento. The 15-time All-Star hasnt played since he was injured April 12 in a home win over the Golden State Warriors. He had surgery the following morning and was projected to take six to nine months to recover. Bryants return has seemed imminent since he began practicing last month. The 35-year-old guard has said that he could adjust his game and contribute something to the Lakers even if hes not fully healthy when he finally steps on the court for his 18th NBA season. His teammates expect the same. "Hes the biggest competitor that there is. Happy to have him back," guard Jodie Meeks said. "Hes looked great. Obviously he has to get his timing back and his legs, but I know hes probably been training pretty hard. I dont think it will take him long at all." Los Angeles signed the fourth-leading scoring in NBA history to a two-year contract extension last week. Bryants new deal is reportedly worth $48.5 million and takes him into his 20th season with the Lakers. Bryant hasnt given up hope of adding a sixth championship ring to his trophy case, even while the Lakers struggle to keep up with the NBAs best teams. Los Angeles entered Friday nights game with a 9-9 record. Thats still slightly better than most Lakers fans expected this season after the departures of Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace coupled with the injuries to Bryant and 39-year-old point guard Steve Nash, who could return next week from the nerve root irritation in his back. "Weve developed some guys that are really going to contribute a lot, and it might not have happened if (Bryant) was here," DAntoni said. "You have to look at the bright side of it. Now we just have to get him back to the level that hes capable of playing." Cheap Jerseys . 20, three Canadian players should already be off the board. Thornhills Andrew Wiggins, a lock to go in the top three, will be the first of that group to hear his name called followed by possible lottery picks in guards Nik Stauskas and Tyler Ennis, all hailing from the Greater Toronto Area. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Responding to player demands for a bigger slice of prize money, Tennis Australia moved to avert a potential boycott of the opening Grand Slam of the year. The 2013 singles champions at Melbourne Park will each collect $2.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Brayan Pena only wanted to spark a rally. He wound up deciding the game. Penas second career pinch-homer started Cincinnatis big eighth-inning rally and swept the Reds over the Milwaukee Brewers 8-3 Thursday night. The Reds hit three homers in all as they pulled within 6 1/2 games of the NL Central leaders. Tucker Barnhart led off the fifth with his first career homer. Todd Frazier added a two-run drive in the sixth off Marco Estrada, who gave up six hits and four walks in six innings. Pena had homered during a 9-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. He batted for Bailey with the score tied at 3 in the eighth and connected on the first pitch from Jim Henderson (2-1) for a two-run homer. "I was just thinking about driving the ball and hitting it hard somewhere," Pena said. "He got a pitch up and I was able to take advantage of it. I wasnt expecting a homer, but Ill take it." Cincinnati sent 11 batters to the plate while scoring five times during the inning against a bullpen that entered the series with the fourth-best ERA in the league. It had one very bad inning. "Theyre going to happen, no doubt," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "Weve been good down there. We just werent good tonight." Homer Bailey (2-2) allowed eight hits in a season-high eight innings, finally returning to form after missing much of spring training with a strained groin. "This game was good for all of us," Bailey said. "Were fixing to turn things around. Weve had a lot happen already this year. This one showed were starting to come together as a group." Milwaukee has lost back-to-back games for only the second time this season. The Brewers havent dropped more than two in a row. Cincinnati opened the four-game series with another injury. Leadoff hitter Billy Hamilton sprained knuckles on his left hand while making a diving catch in centre field and will miss a few games. Hamilton stretched all out to reach Carlos Gomezs line drive that opened the game. He grimaced and flexed his left hand and wrist as he gott up. Jerseys From China. Chris Heisey hit for him in the bottom of the inning. Hamilton hurt the middle finger on his left hand while sliding into base during the opening week of the season and missed two games. "Unfortunately, its the same hand that he hurt in New York," manager Bryan Price said. "Were optimistic that hell only miss a day or two, but we wont know for a day or two." Gomez stole a hit from Joey Votto in the bottom of the first, catching his fly at the top of the wall in centre. Votto pointed two fingers toward Gomez, who also stole a potential go-ahead homer from him for the final out in Milwaukees 4-3 win last July 8. Jean Segura singled in a run in the second, and Gomez doubled home a pair of two-out runs to tie it 3-all in the seventh. Milwaukee got two players back in the lineup, but outfielder Ryan Braun missed his fifth game because of a strained oblique. Braun is expected back this weekend. Segura returned at shortstop after being out of the starting lineup for four games because of an injury to his face. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez was back after missing two games with a sore left elbow and went hitless, extending his slump to 0 for 25. Outfielder Logan Schafer is eligible to return from the disabled list on Saturday, recovered from a strained right hamstring. For now, Roenicke is using Mark Reynolds in right field, a position the infielder played during spring training. NOTES: RHP Wily Peralta (3-1) faces RHP Mike Leake (2-2) in the second game of the series. ... The Brewers called reliever Rob Wooten. Milwaukees bullpen has thrown the fifth-most innings in the majors. Utility player Elian Herrera was optioned to Triple-A. ... The Reds put LHP Tony Cingrani on the DL with a sore pitching shoulder. Reliever Curtis Partch was called up from Triple-A. ... Closer Aroldis Chapman made his first rehab appearance, throwing one inning and fanning two batters at Class A Dayton. Hes recovering from a line drive off the forehead on March 19. He could be activated by the end of next week. cheap nfl jerseyscheap jerseys ' ' '
