Kobe drops Laker reality bomb on Howard...Its Gut check time...

[Rocco007]

"We don't have time for (Howard's shoulder) to heal," Bryant said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with ESPNBoston.com's Jackie MacMullan. "We need some urgency."

The interview with MacMullan came one day after Bryant publicly challenged Howard, stating that playing through an injury is "something that you have to balance out and manage."
Bryant also asserted that Howard is preoccupied with how he is perceived by fans and media.

"Dwight worries too much about what people think," Bryant told MacMullan. "I told him, 'You can't worry about that. It's holding you back.' He says, 'OK, OK, OK,' but it's always hovering around him.

"He just wants people to like him. He doesn't want to let anyone down, and that gets him away from what he should be doing."

Bryant also speculated that Howard, in his first season with Los Angeles, may not be accustomed to the Lakers' standards.

"(Howard) has never been in a position where someone is driving him as hard as I am, as hard as this organization is," Bryant told MacMullan. "It's win a championship or everything is a complete failure. That's just how (the Lakers) do it. And that's foreign to him.

"When you think about it, there aren't many organizations that look at it that way. There are only two that can really honestly say that's what they live by -- Los Angeles and Boston."


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...jury-play-pain

[GetShrutedOn]

Howard needs to grow some hair on his balls. The guy is a little ***** who just complains and makes excuses all of the time.

[mOrphosis]

F'n love it...Kobe speaks the truth!

[bluefire7002]

It's the truth... I figured Howard would play either way tomorrow... If he really cares about this season/team like he says he does, he knows he has to play tomorrow in order to have a chance and continue to have a successful road trip.

[LA_Raiders]

Colby is the man, Love him or hate him he doesnt give a F...

[lakerfan85]

Dwight is such a diva... People say pau is soft.. I think Dwight is just as soft..

[J4KOP99]

Howard can take this one of 2 ways:

1) Use it as motivation

2) Act like a baby and start crying "foul"

[lakerfan85]

Howard can take this one of 2 ways:

1) Use it as motivation

2) Act like a baby and start crying "foul"

I say he chooses option 2...

[beans439]

everyone should ease off howard. kobe is basically saying, we need you on the court now. Im sure howard knows that and whos to say hes not thinking the same thing? hes not calling him out or talking **** about howard, hes stating the obvious. howard may have this shoulder pop out every gm, it hurts like hell and once it happens hes out for the game, but he has to attempt to play.

[GREATNESS ONE]

Mamba!!!

[GetShrutedOn]

Howard can take this one of 2 ways:

1) Use it as motivation

2) Act like a baby and start crying "foul"

I'm guessing he will do the latter and take it as an insult. Mainly, cause he's a *****....

[shep33]

I'm usually not a fan of Kobe's leadership techniques at times.

Man, Kobe actually wants Dwight to take this franchise over, he wants him to be great, and he's giving him an excellent lesson. Nothing negative was said about Dwight in his statement.

[lakeshow12]

Truth. Time to man Dwight. This what Laker basketball is all about.


psh, he still ain't gon play though.

[shep33]

How will Dwight take this though?

[GREATNESS ONE]

Time to grow, time to shine, time to take the bull by the horns.