In 2012, Dwight Howard teamed up with Kobe Bryant in LA. Unfortunately, their time together was deeply disappointing. After the colossal failure of the Lakers, Dwight Howard decided to part ways with the superteam after the conclusion of the 2012-2013 season. Kobe Bryant, who tried his best to retain the big man, had the most nonchalant reply when asked about Howard’s future with the Houston Rockets. Later that season, Bryant would face Howard wearing Rockets’ colors and called him a ‘teddy bear’ to imply the 6ft 10″ center was soft.
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When the Purple & Gold front office added Dwight to a roster that already consisted of Kobe, Steve Nash, and Pau Gasol, analysts and enthusiasts from across the globe were convinced that the Lakers would end up lifting the 2013 champions.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Mike D’Antoni’s boys only finished 7th in the Western Conference and eventually were handed a 4-0 sweep by the San Antonio Spurs in the postseason.
Kobe Bryant didn’t care about Dwight Howard’s move to Houston
It was shocking that the 6-foot-10 two-way star decided to jump ships after merely 1 season in California.
While the whole basketball fraternity was still caught off guard by D12’s decision, the Black Mamba couldn’t care less about it. When asked about the move, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard had the most nonchalant response:
“Honestly man, I really don’t give a sh*t. It is what it is. If he would’ve come back it would’ve been great, if he didn’t it’s not.”
The further details of this interview were even recorded by Bleacher Report when the incident took place back on 29th September 2013.
There isn’t just a single definitive reason that caused the defensive superstar to leave LAL. While some believe that Dwight was interested in playing alongside a younger core in Houston that was being led by James Harden, many analysts reason the treatment received from the franchise drove him out.
According to several sources, Howard wanted to be the face of the team. But, with the presence of a polarising player in Bryant, that seemed next to impossible.
Kobe called Howard a teddy bear
After missing out on all the clashes against the Houston Rockets during the 2013-2014 campaign, the Mamba was finally able to suit up for the clash against Dwight in the 2014-2015 season opener.
Despite the Texas-based franchise’s 18-point victory, the contest was action-packed with tempers flaring from both sides.
At one point in the battle, Howard even swung his elbow and struck Kobe with a brutal blow on his lower jaw. However, the 5-time NBA champ didn’t seem to be too bothered by the physical play. During the postgame interview, the LAL leader called Howard a ‘teddy bear.’ Bryant told the Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan:
“You can’t help but like him, he’s a teddy bear. I really mean that. He is a really nice kid. But you know me. When you’re competing and you have a goal in mind, I know one way to get there and there’s certain times you don’t see eye to eye. That wasn’t one of those situations. He elbowed me in the face, you know I am going to let him know I don’t like that. It’s that simple.”
As Kobe did promise, he did end up torching the Texas-based franchise when they met next. Dropping 29 points, the 2008 MVP led Los Angeles to a 98-92 win. Clearly, there is no messing with the Mamba.
