Los Angeles Lakers fans will have to wait a little longer before seeing Kobe Bryant play for the first time this season as the superstar shooting guard said that he will not play on Friday night's game against the Sacramento Kings.

Bryant, who has been practicing with the squad, told ESPN Los Angeles that he decided to delay his return because he still needs to get over the final hurdle in his return from an Achilles tendon injury that he sustained in April.

"Just running into the shooting," Bryant said when asked about the final hurdle that he needs to clear before making his 2013-14 NBA season debut. "Because, it's one thing to be out on the track all day and run. It's another thing to run, jump, change directions, now gather your legs for a shot. You still kind of feel like you get those 'Bambi' legs and that sort of thing."

The 18-year-veteran quickly added that the two days of practice with the squad helped him gauge his readiness to make his much-awaited return.

According to Bryant, he is slowly getting into game shape, creating speculations that the 15-time All-Star could make his debut on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center.

"It feels pretty good. This is the second day now that I've been able to get out there and move around and play and play pretty well, and it felt like I could do anything that I wanted to do out there on the floor, so we progress to, on to tomorrow. Let's see if I can go three days straight and then have another hard work out on Friday and kind of measure it accordingly," said Bryant during the launch of his ninth Nike signature shoe -- the Nike Kobe Elite 9.

When asked about his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon, Bryant said that it felt pretty good, but he expects to deal with soreness once he makes his return, saying that it is a normal thing for a player who has spent 18 years in the NBA.