Kobe Bryant Says Dwight Howard Will Have a Great Season


Chatting with reporters prior to the first Lakers/Rockets game since Dwight Howard left for Houston, Kobe Bryant was complimentary of the big fella. Bryant thinks Howard will be able to flourish offensively in H-Town. Per the LA Times: “From what I’ve seen, it seems like they want to really feature him even more,’ Bryant said. ‘It seems like they’re posting him up even more. They sound really determined to have even more of a breakout year offensively than he’s had in the past, which I think is great.’ Really? It’s great? ‘I think he’ll have a great year,’ Bryant said. ‘He was always very determined to be more of an offensive player. Here in Houston, he’ll have that opportunity to do that. He always wanted to compete with the all-time greats — the Chamberlains, the Shaqs, the Olajuwons and so forth. This year should be a year where he can put up those type of numbers — 25, 26 points a game.’ Nice words, but Bryant and Howard are not friends. No way. ‘We speak every day,’ Bryant said sarcastically. Bryant noticed that Clippers fans booed Howard when he was introduced before the Rockets-Clippers game Monday. It was Howard’s first game at Staples Center since leaving the Lakers as a free agent in July. ‘The city of L.A., whether you’re a Clipper fan or a Laker fan, if somebody doesn’t want to be in L.A., they take it personally no matter what,’ Bryant said. Bryant joked that Clippers fans were ‘undercover’ Lakers fans. Howard doesn’t visit the Lakers until Feb. 19. Bryant said he would be back by then. ‘I hope so, barring any major setback,’ he said incredulously.”