PHOTO: Kobe back on court shooting for first time since surgery

Seven months is a very long time for an NBA superstar to go without hitting the hardwood for workouts. Yet that's what Kobe Bryant faced, until apparently getting back on the court and shooting Saturday for the first time since his Jan. 28 right rotator cuff surgery.

Call it an early birthday present for Bean, who turns 37 Sunday.

It's been a long rehab process for Bryant, but the timing pretty much lines up with what doctors said after the surgery, which pegged his recovery time at nine months. The NBA's third all-time leading scorer has had his last two seasons end because of serious injury, and at this stage of his career most observers would like to see him complete his career on his own terms.

Los Angeles Lakers training camp begins later next month in Honolulu, Hawaii.