The 2012-13 season is genuinely a period where the Lakers fan base couldn’t believe how bad their team ended up being. Before that, they acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to pair with Metta Sandiford-Artest, Pau Gasol, and the team’s heart and soul Kobe Bryant. The team failed miserably despite having these five All-Stars. Injuries also marred that season, but one news that dominated the headlines was the Howard-Kobe beef. Recently, the 3x DPOY revealed what it was truly like to play alongside the

“We had some moments, but I don’t think it was like, no, I never had no ill will towards Kobe Bryant. Was I upset on how the Lakers thing ended? Hell, yeah. Because this is, you know, you got the greatest, one of the greatest players to ever play. And, you know, people are taking anything he says or whatever at face value. So now everything is, oh, ‘Kobe said this and Kobe said that.'” There was no hate or beef, as Dwight Howard stated in Carmelo Anthony’s podcast. In fact he stated the same back in 2017, by blaming the median X.

“We didn’t beef. Since we were losing they needed a story that would sell.” Even Melo acknowledged that Kobe didn’t have ill feelings towards the 6 feet 10 star. He further added that it was a test from the Lakers legend to check if Dwight Howard had the hunger in him to win. Which prompted the former champion to explain, if they had the conversation when they were playing together.

“No, no, I get that. I wish me and him was able to at that time of playing together, you know, as a young player, I’m not gonna be the one that I’ve, you know, try to come up to him because I don’t know.”

On the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, the 8x All-Star didn’t on how to approach the Lakers legend during that period. This led to issues on the court as the team exited the playoffs in the first round for the first time since 2007 with a 4-0 loss to the Spurs.

Kobe Bryant had a different reaction when he faced Dwight Howard after Lakers’ exit

That season also will be in mind also because Kobe suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the 80th game of the season. The next season, DH12 moved to the Houston Rockets and would come face-to-face with Black Mamba and the Lakers. It was the Rockets who would win 108- 90, but the headlines were once again on one moment from the fourth quarter where Howard inadvertently caught Kobe with an elbow.

During the shuffle, the latter apparently called the former “soft” and challenged “try me“. Naturally, the post-game conference would involve the question about what really was said and if there were any lingering issues.

But Kobe denied those straight away. “You can’t help but like him. He’s a teddy bear. He’s a really nice kid, and I really mean that…He elbowed me in the face and I’m going to let him know that I don’t like that. It’s that simple.”

This once again reiterates the point from Dwight Howard that there was no beef, but the difference of opinion. However, the 3x DPOY has one regret and wishes that Kobe would have had the conversation in that season.