Kobe confronts Howard in meeting
Posted Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:19:13 GMT
In order to move forward and turn around their disappointing season, the Los Angeles Lakers attempted to let go of their past frustrations with a team meeting Wednesday.
Prior to the team's shootaround in preparation for the Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies, coach Mike D'Antoni invited members of the team to air their grievances, according to a team source.
One example of the rocky relationship between the two Western Conference All-Star starters, according to a league source, was a game this season when Howard harped to a teammate about the disparity between his and Bryant's shots while sitting on the bench. The teammate called Bryant over so Howard could tell it to Bryant's face, but Howard refused to speak up.
Lakers forward Antawn Jamison, a 15-year veteran who said he has "seen it all" in his time in the league, said this could be a make-or-break point for L.A.
"Now we're at the wall and we're going to find a way to help each other over that wall, or we're going to let the wall push us back even farther," Jamison said.
D'Antoni said it's an issue of the entire team coming together.
Jamison said, "Let's just have fun, man, and enjoy this journey and just pull for each other and realize that this is a special team. The first half of this season has been an embarrassment. We've been the laughingstock of the NBA. So, let's turn that embarrassment into one of the best stories in sports history and turn things around."