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Lakers Rumors: Kobe Bryant Denies Steering Dwight Howard Away From L.A.

Written by on 02/07/2012 in News - 14 Comments

Last week Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard stated that he is no longer interested in signing an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. When asked why Howard stated, “Kobe messed it up.”

Now Bryant is denying the report that he was less-than-convincing when speaking to Howard about coming to L.A. According to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post Bryant didn’t exactly sell Howard on being a star in Hollywood.

“Come here and be the third offensive option behind me and Pau Gasol and be our “Tyson Chandler.””

I find it hard to believe that Bryant would compare Howard to a player that has averaged 8.4 points per game for his entire career. As good of a player as Chandler is, he’s nowhere near Dwight Howard’s level of physicality or athleticism.

Still, when pressed about the issue Bryant denied the report to Vescey.

“It’s not true,” Kobe said.

Regardless of whether it’s true or not, it appears that, for the moment anyways, the Howard to Los Angeles deal is on indefinite hold.

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Comments

comments

  • Ng29

    fuck howard, when need a pg, sf, and high flying fastbreak bench player who can replace s. brown and we can get kobe number 6

  • Presice

    The NBA haves a plot going on, on the lakers i think theres bad blood…who was the president…of the NBAP…theres your answer of why we cannot and never get these prime players….

  • Alex Figueroa

    Fuck you NG29. Go take your meds everyone knows what the Lakers need but its easier said than done.

    • Margarite

      Why because he’s right you tell the guy( fuck you)   WE DON”T NEED HOWARD!

  • 123kid

    And this isnt just all Shaq getting into Howard’s head. I mean you really think Howard would admit that Shaq is threatening him not to join the Lakers and to try and follow his every move.

  • 123kid

    And this isnt just all Shaq getting into Howard’s head. I mean you really think Howard would admit that Shaq is threatening him not to join the Lakers and to try and follow his every move.

  • Margarite

    The Hell with Dwight Howard we need a point guard,small foward and  2 bench players. People who keep talking about Lakers needing Howard are a bunch of delusional clowns.

  • JR

    I don’t see Kobe saying that

  • purp&yellow

    shaqs got into howards head..notice shaq keeps sayin him n kobe is the greatest one two puch ever which is true so shaq doesnt want to be overshawdowed n forgotten if kobe n howard were to team up

  • Sir Serg

    LETS GET RONDO OR DERON!!!!!

    length did it for the lakers cant lose that!!!

  • Thee ….Best!!!”u all lie..”;

    Lakers are stupid…first lamar now they only got.kobe and gasol..they dont trade or sign anybody….gud look lakers ‘ you had dwight….mesed that up..they should go for mcgee from the wizards…an ramon sessions….or Gilbert areans….they Ned new Gm……..they better trade quuicck…I get Howard quickly…and go for mcgee from wizards….

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bryan-Heck/100000836043267 Bryan Heck

    let’s go get Rondo, even if it does cost us Gasol, Mike Brown’s offense needs a playmaker in place to be truly successful and that playmaker shouldn’t be Kobe all the time. I’d rather have  Kobe Spotting up or making a move without the ball instead of him being SG one play and a PG the next.  Then Bynum can be the focal point of our post game, even Kobe can post up, why do we need three guys on the floor together to post up? The Celtics had KG and Pierce as their post up guys and we’re very successful with that tandem until age finally caught up with them.  So we get a great young PG and we don’t have to do something outlandish like absorb Hedo’s contract in a Dwight Howard deal, hey, maybe we can even get someone like Ray Allen in the deal and he would be willing to come off the bench a la Jason Terry.  I’ve moved on from the Dwight deal, the way he has been this season has just turned me off, at least Melo just kept his mouth shut for most of the drama, but Dwight has been just flip floppin every other day and I hate the way he addresses the media. Lets get a high caliber PG and some solid(Allen) role players to strengthen our bench.

  • Chaz

    With the way Bynum has been playing we really don’t need D12…a PG is much more pressing of an issue.  The problem being, in order to get Deron Williams the Nets have to stop caring about Dwight Howard, and for that to happen he has to be traded…so until the Bulls or Clippers or Mavs step up the Lakers aren’t gonna be able to work a deal for an elite point guard.

  • Jgsportstar22

    you ppl that think we dont need D12 r rediculous do u realize if we get him derron williams is gonna come he to he wants to play with dwight. derron may not come till next year but still if kobe dwight and williams r on the team watch out NBA and ya u would still neeed a pg for this year but Dwight is so defensively dominant and protects the rim so well he makes up for all the mistakes on the perimiter one thing that bynum doesnt do. SO get D12 for whatever you gotta give up Pau sucks anyway and then bring in williams next year in free agency or try to pack Pau for williams something but main thing is Pau needs to GO and D12 needs to be in LA if they want a shot at the title because the group right now isnt gettin it done its bynum and Kobe then a bunch of stiffs out there!!! GET DWIGHT PLEASE