Bryant made a comment earlier in the summer that he spoke to Howard early in the summer, but that he would put on the full-court press later in the summer. Kobe was asked when was the last time he spoke to Howard and it sounds like his plan to let Howard find his way back to the Lakers is in motion:
“I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago, just checking with him to see how his summer was going. I haven’t spoken to him since and I know he has a big decision to make and he’ll take the visits and talk to the players on the teams. We’ll touch base a lot more.”
There have been multiple reports that Howard is looking to team up with Chris Paul and has narrowed his choices to the Lakers and Houston Rockets.
However, Bryant has maintained that he believes Howard ultimately will stay with the Lakers and he hopes that one day he becomes the centerpiece of the team once he’s gone.
While many in LA believe that Howard doesn’t have the ability to be a franchise player nor have that same killer instinct that Kobe has, it’d be hard for the Lakers to replace him if he walks in free agency.
It’s clear that Bryant has a plan in dealing with Howard as he’s been known to be immature and sensitive in dealing with the media.
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, it doesn’t sound like the Howard free agency saga will be coming to a close anytime soon, but it’s clear that Bryant knows what he’s doing in trying to get him to return to the Lakers.
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