I don’t think there is anything Kobe can say at the moment that will affect Dwight Howard’s decision. To me it is a very simple decision for Howard.
If he is too afraid of the spotlight and being the face of a franchise like the Lakers, he will sign with the Rockets. But, Kobe for his part wants to have the final word before he makes a decision.
“For me, you kind of let him do his due diligence and then move in and talk to him and figure out if this is a place he wants to be,” Bryant said. “We all want him here. But then that’s when the selling begins [after Howard is courted by other teams]. You don’t start the selling process right before he goes and does all this stuff. You want to get the last word. You want to have the final word and the closing argument.
“I’ll give him a little opening statement, but then I have to make sure I have the final word.”
Kobe’s rehab is going well and he expects to be ready to go for the season opener next year.