[UPDATE] NBA Rumor: Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard Are Bitterly Feuding

[UPDATE: This is what Kobe Bryant just tweeted in reference the rumors of the feud. It looks like this news doesn’t have Dwight, Kobe or Mike D’Antoni too upset.]

Wow, we are so far from this, aren’t we?

This could be nothing (as some are saying), or it could really be another major step towards the biggest mess in recent NBA history. The New York Daily News has an article this morning with a rumor that Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are feuding, and that it has almost escalated to a physical confrontation.

From a “league source” in the post:

A league source told the Daily News that the Lakers stars got into a heated exchange following a New Year’s Day loss to the 76ers, and Bryant went for a low blow – referencing and agreeing with Shaquille O’Neal’s criticisms of Howard being soft.

Howard was restrained from going at his teammate, according to the source, and there have been rumblings from the center’s camp that he’s been unhappy with Bryant since earlier in the season.

Three days after the altercation, following a disheartening loss to the Clippers, Howard complained about the lack of chemistry on the Lakers. It was a comment seemingly directed at Bryant, who is averaging a league-high 22 shots despite playing with three potential Hall of Famers.

Allegedly, multiple sources have already denied that the Christmas Day confrontation happened, but there’s no mistaking Dwight’s comments to the media – it’s not like he’s talking about Darius Morris.

Regardless, what a mess. And with the mounting Laker losses come even more injuries, including a Dwight Howard date today with an MRI machine.

Last night’s loss to the Nuggets, while positive in the sense that there were times that L.A.’s offense was really clicking, and that their defense wasn’t completely abysmal for the entire game, must still be crushing. The Lakers were visibly giddy when they went into the locker room at half time tied with Denver. Hardly the stuff of mildly successful teams, let alone championship-caliber squads.

The article also speculates that the Lakers may look to move Dwight at a discount if they don’t believe that he will re-sign after the season. Do you think that’s the best move or should they continue to try and make this work?

Follow Patrick Cassidy on Twitter

Follow Dime Magazine on Twitter

Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook

×