Charlotte Hornets center Dwight Howard has been answering a great many questions on Twitter recently. One of those questions was about his relationship with Kobe Bryant during his brief and disappointing tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. Howard says that he and Bryant never had any beef and that it was simply a storyline concocted by the media:
we didn't beef. Since we were losing they needed a story that would sell
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) July 16, 2017
If there was no “beef,” it’s still safe to say that the two were never particularly friendly. Howard, in playstyle and mannerism, is remarkably similar to Shaquille O’Neal, whom Bryant famously did not get along with.
The 2012-13 Lakers finished 45-37 and were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.
Since L.A., Howard has spent time with the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. This season will be his first with the Hornets.
Last season for the Hawks, Howard averaged 13.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game on 63.3 percent shooting.
