Kobe told Dwight to leave the clown act in Orlando. Dwight didn’t listen and the Lakers have been struggling because of it.
After Kobe punked Dwight in a team meeting he clarified what he was trying to convey to Howard and the Lakers team as a whole.
“It’s a matter of learning (for Howard),” Bryant told USA TODAY Sports as he exited Staples Center. “What I try to tell him is that it’s not necessarily about what you (want), how you are as a person, or what’s comfortable for you. It’s really about what’s going to help elevate us.
“So for us to have a team that’s confrontational and on edge brings out the competitive spirit of everybody else, you know what I’m saying? If everybody is just relaxed and happy-go-lucky and this that and the other, then that’s the personality we’ll have as a team. And then you run into a team that’s a confrontational team, and it’s like a bus.”
I tend to agree with him, if the Lakers don’t play like they care then teams will eat them alive. They have to show some fighting spirit, so to speak.
They won last night, but we will see if it has a carry over effect.