Follow up on the ESPN story about Kobe Bryant

Sam locked the thread that was started about the ESPN story that came out last week about anonymous sources claiming stars don't want to come to LA and play with Kobe.
Over the weekend Carmelo Anthony came out and said that his decision to stay with NY had nothing to do with not wanting to be on the same team as Kobe.
Now, Dwight Howard is saying that Kobe was not the reason why he did not want to stay in LA.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2248308-dwight-howard-says-he-didnt-leave-lakers-over-fear-of-kobe-bryant

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2248542-kobe-bryant-and-dwight-howard-have-altercation-during-season-opener?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&hpt=hp_t4



Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard Have Altercation During Season Opener
By Brian Chen , Social Media Staff Oct 29, 2014



It's been a while since Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard were teammates, but apparently there's no love lost.

In the fourth quarter of the Lakers-Rockets season opener, a 108-90 win for Houston, Bryant and Howard exchanged words after the center grabbed a rebound and things got physical.

It looks as if Howard elbowed Bryant in the face.

In response, Kobe may have called the Rockets big man "soft."

John Ledesma @JohnnyNBA
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Kobe called Dwight "soft"
10:03 PM - 28 Oct 2014
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The refs gathered together to sort everything out.

The Lakers provided details on the call.


Los Angeles Lakers        ✔ @Lakers
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Kobe picks up the personal, him & Howard also get T’s. After review, the refs tack on a flagrant 1 to Dwight for the elbow to the face.
10:05 PM - 28 Oct 2014
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After the game, Bryant commented on the incident:


Marc J. Spears        ✔ @SpearsNBAYahoo
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Kobe on Dwight: "He's a teddy bear. You can't help but like him. But when you're competing, you have a goal in mind."
11:05 PM - 28 Oct 2014
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Lakers head coach Byron Scott gave his take on the relationship between Howard and Bryant:

Serena Winters @SerenaWinters
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Byron Scott on Kobe/Dwight scene: "They don't like each other."
10:51 PM - 28 Oct 2014
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This is going to be a fun season.

[TNT]




bob
MY NOTE: Dwight Howard might say he didn't leave because of Kobe, but they couldn't wait to get in each others faces, could they?  Maybe Howard said that because he doesn't want it to sound like Kobe ran him out of town? Unless what we're seeing here is a significant escalation in the animosity, I don't see any way this wasn't a factor in Dwight's leaving. It is unrealistic for two players who loathe each other this much could/would co-exist. If they could spit acid at each other, they would.


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bob,

Dwight would have stayed with Kobe if he could have won a championship.
He's not going to stay to win 25-30 games. He made the right decision to leave.

I told my son last night before the Lakers game that I bet at some point Kobe and Dwight get technicals due to being in a confrontation. I wasn't too far off from that. Kobe got a personal foul and Dwight got a flagrant 1.

I said in that original thread that there was valid points to the ESPN writers story about Kobe.
If Kobe's team was winning 55 games a year and not 25 this would be a non-story.