On opening night between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard got into a scuffle early in the fourth quarter which resulted in the five-time champion calling his former teammate “soft.” In addition to being called “soft” by Kobe, Kevin Durant had some words for Howard recently as well.
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Following the win against the Rockets on Wednesday in which Howard did not play, Kobe addressed Durant’s comments via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
“I don’t feel that way and I don’t think Kevin does either,” Bryant said Wednesday. “In moments of confrontation during a game you’ll say things during the heat of the moment. I know Dwight, I’m sure Kevin does. We don’t feel that way about him. It’s like when you get in an argument with somebody you’ll say things out of frustration or anger that you really don’t mean.”
When asked if he is aware of that when it is happening in real time, the five-time champion had this to say:
“In the moment? No,” Bryant said. “In hindsight? Yes, especially now with social media. Everybody has a camera. You try to be conscious as possible in the fact that kids are watching.”
While the Lakers are currently rebuilding, Howard leaving for the Rockets was the right move for both sides. In a recent documentary, Howard talked about how quickly his relationship with Kobe deteriorated in their one season in Los Angeles.
With the return of Nick Young from injury, the Lakers have won two straight games as they look to close out the three-game road trip on a high note against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
[divide]Kobe Bryant Reacts To Elbow/Trash Talking Scuffle With Dwight Howard
