I’d love for the New York Daily News report of Kobe and Dwight Howard nearly squaring off to be true. Don’t get me wrong, I know things aren’t sweet in the Lakers locker room. I'm also sure it wasn't fun to be in Philly after another tough loss. The squad is under .500 and losing to teams they should beat. Howard is struggling recovering from his back injury, and overall camaraderie has to be low for a team that most thought before the season were a sure shot to the Finals.
However, I’m not buying the hype.
For starters, the report says Kobe referenced and agreed with Shaq saying that Howard is soft. Do we really believe Kobe would agree with anything Shaq has to say about anything? We all remember how much they couldn’t stand each other as teammates. No matter what anyone says, Kobe still hasn’t forgotten Shaq’s rhymes against him. I highly doubt Kobe would ever use Shaq’s words to diss Howard.
I also have a hard time believing that Stefan Bondy of the Daily News would be able to scoop the Lakers beat reporters. And once the story was out, none of the Lakers reporters have confirmed it. You’re telling me that all those journalists would miss the opportunity get page clicks and viewers with such a salacious story? It also comes off a bit troll-like, because it also mentions Howard potentially going to the Nets.
Lastly, I can believe Kobe is hard on Howard as he should be. Yet, I don’t believe Kobe would push Howard so much to where they would nearly come to blows. Kobe is, in my opinion, the 2nd best shooting guard in NBA history, but we know he can’t fight. Never forget that cold 2-piece with a biscuit Chris Childs gave him. If that’s what a smaller Childs could do, imagine if Howard got his hands on Kobe.
Cool story, Bondy. But we don’t believe you, you need more people. Or at least better sources.
