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Not sure why he'd say it out loud.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard clashed during their one-season stint as Los Angeles Lakers teammates in 2012-13. And Byron Scott believes he knows why.
"My outside perspective is Kobe is a real serious guy and wants to win championships," Scott, the Lakers' first-year head coach, said after his team's practice at their facility Monday. "I don't know if Dwight is that serious about it. I know No. 24 is. I think that probably was the clash."
Scott's comments came on the eve of Howard's Houston Rockets facing Bryant's Lakers in both team's regular-season opener Tuesday at Staples Center.
Howard has faced the Lakers three times since joining the Rockets in July 2013, but because Bryant has missed those matchups because of injuries, Tuesday's game will mark the first time both players will face each other since Howard left Los Angeles.
Scott predicted that Howard would "love to beat the crap out of us."
Bryant said that Howard obviously would try to play well, but he dismissed the notion that the matchup meant more because of Howard's presence.
"Why would it?" Bryant asked, rhetorically.
Scott highlighted the main talking point used when dissecting why Bryant and Howard didn't mesh - Bryant is known as demanding, Howard as more playful.
Could they have overcome that difference? Scott wasn't sure.
"Probably so," Scott said. "I don't think there's one specific way that you can overcome it. I think there's probably a number of ways, but obviously both individuals have to be willing."
Last season, Bryant recalled "constant tension" with Howard.
"Dwight wanted to do it one way, which he felt was effective. I wanted to do it another way," Bryant said last November.
Lakers guard Jeremy Lin, who played with Howard and the Rockets last season, tried not to place blame on either side.
"One thing I have heard from both ends is (Howard) probably came back a little too early (from back surgery) and wasn't able to be himself," Lin added Monday. "Beyond that, I really don't know much of anything."
A recent ESPN The Magazine article quotes several agents and NBA personnel - including Lakers insiders - as saying that L.A. has been unable to attract top talent in free agency because players don't want to work with Bryant.
In the piece, a Lakers source was quoted as saying that Howard's issue with the Lakers was that "he saw one particular player play outside that scheme with carte blanche, with no accountability."
The source added: "These people who say Dwight couldn't handle the pressure of Los Angeles ... that's nonsense. L.A. was everything Dwight wanted. To be celebrated. To be among stars. To be among women of this caliber. To live, basically, in one big reality TV show. This was a perfect setting for him."
Howard left nearly $30 million on the table by departing the Lakers and signing with the Rockets as a free agent.
Not sure why he'd say it out loud.
Should lite a fire under Howards ass.
Will be interesting to see how he plays in this game.
Scott deflecting with excuses for Kirby
Howard looked really focused in preseason. He's going to surprise a lot of people this year now that he's fully healthy. Wouldn't be surprised if he went off in LA
The Lakers' organization is really embarrassing itself with all this talk, tbh..
Jeannie Buss, Kobe, Byron Scott..just shut the up and stop blaming people/calling people out
i agree. stop blaming others for your own failures. valuable life lesson imo
Culburn is that you lurking?
Dwight got the away from Kirby as fast as he could....
That's the 1st step in becoming "serious about winning" tbh....
Henry Abott really rattled their entire organization, it's crazy..
Just because
no reason to say like this a day before the opening tip. howard is gonna put up monster numbers tomorrow and scott is gonna look like an idiot once again
So they begged a guy to stay that they think is a loser. Makes sense.
This is just embarrassing. Harden's gonna feed Howard to death tbh.
Haha
Howard mentally seems like the average NBA player to me. Not the biggest killer but not a Mello either.
Has Byron Scott every had ten kids by ten different women?
Then he can't speak for Dwight Howard
Sincerely,
Black people
Is Scott serious about winning, tbh?
1 guy chasing rings
1 guy chasing baby count
nothing to see here
I am so glad Kobe will put the Lakers in another few seasons of mediocrity.
We have 16 championships, and 2 in the last 5 years. What failures are you talking about fool?i agree. stop blaming others for your own failures. valuable life lesson imo
Will be interesting to see how he plays in this game.
scott scared being bent over shown 6
Dwight just didnt want to kiss Kobe's ass the way Scott does.
The way the Lakers organization comes out on the defensive (and barely anyone outside the Lakers organization doing it) makes the Abbott article more believable.
Jackson and Melo were the only two outside of the Lakers organization who chimed in on the subject, and both of them were not overly directly in their rebuttal (One is "go get them Flea", which could be interpreted either way, the other one is "I didn't chose the Lakers not because of Kobe").
Jeannie Buss went all crazy in the interview like some jilted lover, Scott is going on a personal attack of Howard despite Howard not saying a thing, Kobe going all defensive at the get go.
Not sure who the Lakers PR guy is, but s/he is not doing a good job containing this rumor, and in fact, is adding fuel to the fire.
Not sure a team of our magnitude (this year is minimal, I know) should be opening their mouths. We sound like the ing Jets at the moment. There is no need to be heard because we'll be lucky to finish in any way, shape, or form to a playoff contender this year. If so, it will be a miracle beyond reproach. However, this team needs to exert self-control in what it spews. We're better than that--the legacy of the Lakers will always be remembered. But looking foolish by giving a person who knows very little about basketball (Jim Buss) support and coming out lambasting other players when its nigh time to let go of the hurt is stupid. I usually by a few tickets to go see the Lakeshow but this year I'm going to just attend a game on a whim or if I come into a free pair from work.
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