Kobe claims he is 100 percent

Two leg injuries later, Kobe Bryant said he is 100 percent healthy and ready to get back on the court with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant, who suffered a season-ending left knee fracture back in December, gave a brief TV interview Wednesday in Brazil, where he is taking in the World Cup.

“Oh, yeah. I’m 100 percent,” Bryant said when asked by the interviewer about his health. “One hundred percent.”

Bryant, 35, also discussed the Lakers’ 2013-14 season in which they stumbled to a 27-55 mark, the worst finish since the franchise moved to California from Minneapolis in 1960. It led to Mike D’Antoni’s resignation, leaving the Lakers in the market for a new head coach and holding the No. 7 pick in next Thursday’s 2014 NBA draft.

“It’s a very, very tough season, but you know, what’s life without a few challenges?” Bryant said. “You know, you’ve got to have a few challenges. This summer, I’m training really hard. The organization’s working really hard to make sure we have a great team.”

The 35-year-old Bryant said he realizes both he and the franchise are starting over in many ways.

“It’s the best time, when people count you out,” he said.

Bryant last played Dec. 17 when he sustained a fractured lateral tibial plateau in his knee. That injury occurred after he missed the first 19 games of the season during his recovery from a torn Achilles in his left leg from the previous April.