On opening night in the NBA, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant met for the first time since Howard spurned LA for Houston. The two did not see eye-to-eye on how to lead the Lakers during their one season together, and in that game, Howard landed an elbow that resulted in the pair being split and yelling obscenities at one another.
Famously, Bryant was caught on video calling Howard "soft." After the game, the 36-year-old laughed off the suggestion that he did not like the Rockets' center before calling him a "teddy bear." When asked about the incident, a clearly frustrated Howard called the question "stupid."
As much as Wednesday night should be about the Lakers building momentum off getting Nick Young back and winning a game in Atlanta, Wednesday night is about Howard and Bryant.
The Rockets have a 9-2 record, which is good enough for second-best in the NBA. Conversely, the Lakers have a 2-9 record which is good enough for second-worst in the NBA. Playing on the road and on the second night of a back-to-back further handicaps the Lakers, but that should not stop Bryant from taking on the personal challenge of showing up Howard.
"I think it's fantastic. It's the game," Bryant said about Howard's elbow after the opening night meeting. "An elbow is part of the game. Trash talk is part of the game. I don't know when the NBA became so sensitive. It's all part of it."
Only, the elbows and trash talk are not part of the NBA these days. Bryant is one of the last to employ both tactics, and no. 24 tends to have a long memory when it comes to personal battles. Bryant may not walk onto the court with boxing gloves on, but he will likely find ways to jab Howard throughout the night.
Worth mentioning, Howard was recently involved in a bust up with the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the bust up, injured forward Kevin Durant was reportedly heard calling Howard a rather unpleasant name. The mohawk donning Howard is not exactly the NBA's poster child of a good guy these days.
Win or lose, Bryant and Howard on opposite sides makes for great drama. And hey, if the Lakers win, Howard will likely take out his frustrations on his teammates, as he did when Steve Blake hit a last second three-pointer to beat the Rockets in Houston at the start of the 2013-14 season. The Lakers were massive underdogs on that occasion, too.
The Lakers and Rockets tip-off at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Notes: Under the "Swagg Effect," the Lakers had five players who scored in double figures and three players who finished with double-doubles on Tuesday night. Wayne Ellington, whose father was recently shot and killed in Philadelphia, expects to re-join the Lakers on Thursday in Dallas. Ellington was provided indefinite leave to be with his family following the incident. Ryan Kelly is out for about six weeks with a torn hamstring. Steve Nash and Julius Randle remain sidelined for the season.
