A league source told the New York Daily News that the Lakers stars got into a heated argument following a New Year's Day loss to the 76ers, and Bryant referenced and agreed with Shaquille O'Neal's assessment of Howard being soft.
Howard was restrained from attacking his teammate, according to the source, and it only highlighted the center's unhappiness with Bryant since the start of the season.
"Look at the difference between our team and (the Clippers)," Howard said after Friday's loss to their Staples Center roommates. "They just play together. They share the ball. Everybody's excited when something happens."
The rift between the no-nonsense Bryant and the child-like Howard — combined with Howard's pending free-agency — allows the Nets to position themselves as prime contenders to make a deal for the center's services.
Howard has not committed to the Lakers beyond this season and if he isn't re-signed, the team risks losing him without anything in return. Meanwhile, the Nets wait in the wings maybe getting ready to pounce.
The Nets — specifically guard Deron Williams — talked about getting Howard from the Magic all last winter until a deal featuring Nets center Brook Lopez fell apart. Howard later claimed Brooklyn was his desired destination after he was sent to Los Angeles.
Lopez, who is in the midst of a breakout season after undergoing foot surgery, can't be traded until Jan. 15 because he signed a four-year, $61 million deal in the summer.
The Nets have been running hot and cold this season but have to ask themselves whether or not the addition of the somewhat slumping Howard would supplant the surging play of Lopez.
Williams, the Nets' $100 million man, probably thinks so.
Watching Kobe Bryant over the years and particularly this year has further solidified the obvious problem that he is a very selfish player that shoots the ball rather than involve any of his team mates! He is not a "team" player and never will be! TRADE KOBE NOW TO SAVE THE LAKERS!! But the other serious problem is Jim Buss whom is arrogant as hell and listens to no one.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Kobe,he does not get the rest of the team involve, the other problem is Jim Buss and his Couch.At this point i fell Howard will not stay with the Lakers.I am at a point i hate to watch the Lakers lose. thanks JIM BUSS losing what Dr. Buss has built.
Deleteas are you......KOBE will never be traded
DeleteCorrect Kobe is going no where... These punks have to learn to just play the game like Jordan Hill.. Don't worry about how many times he shoots the ball..
DeleteKobe is shooting 48% from the field. Thats almost half of his shots going in every night. Dwight is who we thought he was.... A softy. Kobe just called him out for what basketball fans have been saying for years. Look at the facts: World Peace is slow with no offense, Nash is 40 with leg and back issues, Gasol has been checked out mentally since that Dallas series in 2011, and has not one, but two bad knees, Dwight Howard could be the leading scorer in the league, but can't shoot free throws, has no post offense(even though he continues to beg for the ball down low), and if his last little bit in Orlando didn't tell you much about him, he's kind of a P word. Face it: Kobe Bryant is the ONLY bright spot in LA that doesn't wear a Clipper uniform. C'mon, y'all. Be for reals....
ReplyDeleteHoward has an a upper fifties FG percentage. Who should be getting the ball again?
DeleteKobe is the most overrated basketball player of all time.
Kobe can shoot 88% from the field but basketball remains a TEAM sport. How do you expect his teammates to do well when most of the time he's hogging the ball. There are many people who can improve and do well if given the opportunity again and again and again. And most people will struggle when theyre not given consistent opportunity to make plays. This selfish play may work with a team built to support one superstar but the Lakers are not built for that anymore. They have a lot of proven superstars on that team and need to strategize accordingly. Spread the ball out and let others have more consistent opportunities. This is the only way the Lakers will pull their season around. Not to mention Kobe Bryant's defense has been lousy, I believe hes overrated on defense anyways. Dwight Howard was right in pointing out the team has no chemistry. There is no love between them right now and there won't be especially with Kobe's "motivational method", aka throwing his teammates under the bus while trying to act all godsend. Bottom line, Kobe is a good player, among the best, but if he wants a team that can step up more he needs to start looking in the mirror for the issue that needs to be resolved, despite what kobe worshipers believe and say.
DeleteP.S. If Kobe continues to shoot the ball as much as he is I doubt he will have the energy to keep it going at the end of season nevermind the playoffs that seem out of reach at the moment.
what about last night. Other players got the ball plenty of times. And still Howard only had 14 and Gasol 11. Do want Kobe to sit around and constantly wait on players to be what they are paid to be. I bet if Kobe got traded to tomorrow, he still would average 25 depending on the other star players and help the team. Dewight being in LA hasnt helped. But I will say D'antonni has alot to do with that. The system calls for lots of shooting, so shoot. Last night Kobe had 11 going into the fourth and he scored 18 to bring us back. Do you think Dewight can do that. Oh yeah he through the ball away when we could have tied the game.
Deletekobe bryant is one of the main problems.. no phil jackson to control him anymore. dantonis system is another. he has a up tempo offense with slow, older players. they need to be in the half court running the pick and roll with nash and howard. they lakers have to 7 footers on the team and they aren't taking advantage of it.
Deleteand for those of you that say kobe is doing everything he can to win you're dead wrong. a true leader understands what he has around him and plays within himself. kobe doesnt have shaq or phil to bail him out this time. sorry
This one needs repeating:
DeleteDwight is who we thought he was.... A softy. Kobe just called him out for what basketball fans have been saying for years. Look at the facts: World Peace is slow with no offense, Nash is 40 with leg and back issues, Gasol has been checked out mentally since that Dallas series in 2011, and has not one, but two bad knees, Dwight Howard could be the leading scorer in the league, but can't shoot free throws, has no post offense(even though he continues to beg for the ball down low), and if his last little bit in Orlando didn't tell you much about him, he's kind of a P word. Face it: Kobe Bryant is the ONLY bright spot in LA that doesn't wear a Clipper uniform. C'mon, y'all. Be for reals....
Dwight needs to pull a Shaq and smack Kobe, hell pass the ball then!
ReplyDeleteYup!!!
DeleteThe problem is all around. Kobe monopolizing the offense, dwight being dwight, pau just shoots jumpers, offense doesn't flow, defense is horrible and the dantoni can't handle kobe.
ReplyDeleteOnly bright spots have been MWP and Jamison who ironically has seen a decline in minutes lmao.
The problem is the weak leadership, only Phil Jackson has been proven to control Kobe to the point the win so successfully. Kobe needs to be controlled by a strong minded coach, the team is built nicely, it's still a good team. They just need the right leadership, the only leadership...Phil.
I agree dr.buss need to let his daughter to run the team and try and do everything in their power to get phil to coach again.
Deleteword!
Deletei rather have kobe actually shoot the ball and have a shot at scoring. Than give it to dwight and have it stripped. The guy cant even hold the f'en ball. Hes a softy no doubt. I played high school and college ball. If i got stripped twice in one game, the next game i sure as hell would learn my lesson and play with some balls and hang on to that ball as if it were gold. As dwight should especially when hes getting paid to do so.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot of Kobe hate on this site. Listen, I understand that we may not like his demeanor or his overall attitude but nobody can deny that there are little to no players in the NBA that work or play as hard as Kobe. To say he is overrated is ridiculous and untrue. He has to do those things or the Lakers have no chance of being somewhat close. I think Kobe deserves more respect than he has been given. Five rings, an MVP, two gold medals, and an MVP award. Kobe has EARNED the right to call out teammates on HIS team. When Jordan did that he was called a leader, and he punched out Will Perdue and Steve Kerr. And after 17 seasons, Kobe still plays at the highest level. I know we love our home teams, but don't let our hate for #24 cloud our judgement. Overrrated is a hell of a tag to give one of the greatest of all time.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Sir.
DeleteDon't forget 2x finals MVP
DeleteKobe's a shooting guard not point guard... Meaning SHOOT the ball... look at the stats. He's 5th in assists for active players
ReplyDeleteYou can blame Jim Buss for this mess. Bringing in Dántoni was a big mistake and the rest of the assistant coachs are not up to speed.
ReplyDeleteHoward is a big baby and needs to grow up, just like Lebron James was a couple years ago. The only difference is Howard is not nearly as good of a player as Kobe and Lebron is and never will be.
I watch every game. There are plenty of chances for the guys to shoot but when they are not on what are you suppose to do. Just like MWP when they played the clippers he couldn't walk the ball into the basket for a point. It happens.
The difference is Kobe doesn't give up.
You can all say what you want, but Kobe has held and continues the hold the team together thru the bad and the good.
When Howard accomplishs what Kobe has then he can talk dirt, but as of now he has not won anything.
You guys are amusing. Everyone knows Kobe is a ball hog and everyone knows Dwight has no post up game despite efforts by various tutors to teach him. But remember the ball hog has 5 rings. Why because the coach set a system for the rest of the team to play with the ball hog. Understand that Kobe is going to be Kobe but Dwight must be Dwight and Gasol must be Gasol. Dwight can't make his own shot. Gasol is an agile Center not a forward. He has a low post game and that is it. Move Gasol to second team, set entire time to half court game and run when you have opportunity. Kobe give up the ball to nash and nash go to basket and dish to either howard, Jamison, MWP, Kobe at 3pt line or if you insist on keeping Gasol in starting dish to him But your game is dish, kick or shoot not really pick and roll with these guys who have lousy footwork, fumblitis and get stripped so easily by smaller players. And when I say dish I mean more lob than bounce! Don't expect howard nor Gasol to be free wheeling fastbreak players, that's not them at all. But rolling to the basket behind a Nash drive.. that they can do and that is Howards's game! Teams shutdown the drive and the pass kick to kobe or MWP on the wings for shots or alternate drives. SIMPLE!
ReplyDeleteDwight Howard has never matured as a human being normally would because his ego since he could dunk has him thinking I'm the greatest when reality is he's just slighty better mentally than Royce White.Dude's a loser who will never win anything but a stat title and those seem to be bygones with his back.Trade the whacko along with Jim Buss to China for the lakers to get back on track
ReplyDeleteThe theory is to shoot the best shot available, not just shoot. By always deferring to himself, Kobe pisses everyone else off or bores them to death. If you really want to win, you have to pass to wear out the other team and keep your own teammates involved and with you. Kobe is as lazy as the next man and takes the first OK shot available for himself. He doesn't think in solid basketball ways at all times.
ReplyDeleteBut there is plenty of blame to go around. Most of it I lay at D'Antoni's feet. It is hard to discipline your best scorer and team leader, even though he may need it at times. Also, it is hard to give up on your dream basketball offense even though you don't have your exact dream players to work with. Coaching is not just about x's and o's, mamaging crisis is what coaching is all about, whether it is with an individual or between individuals or with the whole team. He needs to go back to basics and let these guys start having some success. Then he should add wrinkles to it and build the offense back up. Now that everyone is all goofed up, he has to go back to that simple place and rebuild. He must get Pau off the floor when Howard is out there and let him contribute on the 2nd team as a center. Pau knows how to do that. Howard knows how to be a basic center, too. Let them both get back to basics and having individual success. Then they should work on defense. Later on they can work on being slick.
So Kobe is a problem sometimes, he's just not THE problem.
Michael Jordan was a ball hog but he won 6 Championships but you don't hear any thing about that so why put Kobe down. You guy as to learn if someone is that geat then why not shoot the ball. So you punks back off on Kobe because you guys can't beat him so you have to pick on him SO BACK THE HELL OFF
ReplyDelete