Everyone knows Dwight Howard & Kobe Bryant never really got along as teammates on the Lakers. There has been rumors to things that may or may not of happened but Dwight & Kobe themselves never really gave specifics on their relationship. Fans and media have gathered enough info on their own but there is nothing that compares to hearing it from someone directly involved. Phil Jackson knows exactly what happened including the details on the private meeting that occurred prior to Dwight choosing to sign with Houston.

@IamJoeSports

Phil Jackson cleared up any gray area there might have been. The Zen Master, in his new book, states that Howard had no interest coming back to the Lakers once Kobe told him he planned on playing a few more years.

The Lakers invited Kobe and Steve to the final pitch meeting to help persuade Dwight to come on board. It sounded like a good idea. Steve sent out an amusing tweet before the meeting: “Dwight Howard we’re coming for you. You’re going to love the statue we build for you outside Staples in 20yrs!” And Kobe made a moving speech during the pitch, promising to teach Dwight the secret of winning championships that he’d learned from the best in the game.

If the meeting had ended there, it might have worked. But after the presentation, Dwight asked Kobe what he was planning to do after he recovered from his Achilles injury. Was this going to be his last year? “No,” replied Kobe. “I’m planning to be around for three or four more years.”

At that point, according to others in the room, Dwight’s eyes went blank and he drifted away. In his mind, the game was over.

Nobody has really liked Kobe over the years as a teammate. Other stars around the league seem to get along fine with him, but then again they never had to deal with him on a daily basis either. It was still interesting to hear from Phil that Dwight basically wanted Kobe to retire before he would stay with the Lakers.