Kobe Behind Dwight Howard's Decision To Leave L.A Lakers

Many believed the writing was on the wall for Dwight Howard’s departure, almost as early back as when the Lakers had a terrible start to the 2012-2013 season.  Mike D’Antoni’s coaching style was cited as one of the main reasons, and it definitely played a factor, in Dwight’s decision to bolt Tinsel Town, but his shaky relationship with the uber-competitive Kobe Bryant was another.

Now reports are surfacing that Howard had asked the Lakers when they would be letting Kobe go, and even if they would consider amnestying Bryant, who injured his achilles at the end of the season.  Earlier it was reported that when D12 met with L.A. Kobe confronted him and challenged him to learn about winning an being a champion.  This was believed to bother Howard, but the reports coming up now from ESPN are that the big man already requested to have Mamba removed from the equation, and was eager to see him leave and take over the team himself.

"Sources told ESPN.com that Howard and his representatives - in a handful of meetings with Lakers officials before he became a free agent July 1 - strongly suggested the center would have a difficult time re-signing with the team if Bryant stayed with the franchise beyond the 2013-14 season, the final year of his contract."

"How can it be Kobe's team and Dwight's team?" one source said. "It was about the passing of the torch."

As an offshoot of those discussions, sources said, Howard's camp at one point asked the Lakers whether they were at least considering releasing Bryant through the league's amnesty provision, since Bryant's return date from Achilles tendon surgery remained in question. Dwight spoke about his decision to leave, and how the “timing” was wrong for him in L.A., and even hints that it could have been better in a couple years (read as: when Kobe retires.)

"I just really think the timing in L.A., it wasn't right for me," Howard told ESPN LosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin on Friday. "Maybe two years ago, or 2-3 years from now, it would have been the right time. But I just think right now the timing was off for me. That's not saying that L.A. is a bad place, but I just think it's all about timing and fit when you're talking about basketball. You can put anybody together on the court and expect them to win, but the pieces have to really fit in order for a team to be successful and it was very, very tough, man. It's probably one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make in my life."

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