After failing to sign Carmelo Anthony this off-season, the Los Angeles Lakers moved on to Plan B where they traded for Jeremy Lin and two first-round draft picks from the Houston Rockets. With Lin losing his starting position to Patrick Beverley last season, Lin is looking for a much bigger role in Los Angeles.
— Have You Seen These LIMITED EDITION “Mamba Strikes Back” T-Shirts? —
In a new episode of “Connected With…” on TWC SportsNet, the new Lakers point guard talked about his relationship with Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant:
“People might not like me for saying it, but Dwight was tremendous to me, very nice to me, great heart, very generous. My relationship with Kobe has been different….When I signed, right from the start he was trying to get me to work out with him and then he’s been teaching me and teaching me….At this stage in his career, he’s definitely been taking me under his wing and really just trying to teach me as much as he can.”
While Kobe and Dwight are not on the greatest terms especially after what transpired between the two in the season opener, Lin has had a good relationship with both players. Despite all the criticism the five-time champion has received throughout his career, he has really embraced a mentorship role with his young teammates this season.
Although Lin has struggled in his first two games and is looking to find his “niche” and “role,” Bryant said after the blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday that he wants to see the point guard run the offense. While it will take some time for Lin to get comfortable playing with a ball-dominant shooting guard in Bryant, he played with James Harden last season and should eventually find his way.
In two games, Lin is averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 assists.
[divide]Kobe Bryant Reacts To Elbow/Trash Talking Scuffle With Dwight Howard