According to New York Post Page Six (that phrase neatly serves as its own disclaimer), ATLien Dwight Howard so was making fun of Kobe Bryant the other night:

Relations between Kobe Bryant and his Lakers teammate Dwight Howard were beyond icy during the weekend’s All-Star game in Houston — with Howard mocking Bryant behind his back in the locker room, sources exclusively tell Page Six. Amid other reports that the Lakers’ chilly on-court chemistry was spilling into the locker room, we’re told that Howard “grabbed Kobe’s uniform, put it on, and imitated him in front of all the other players on the West team. He was joking and berating Kobe” to fellow NBA stars, including the Clippers’ Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant. The source added Bryant later arrived in the locker room, “said hello to everyone on the team except Howard, grabbed his stuff and moved as far away from Howard as he could.”

The Hater is skeptical . . . except this story kinda fits the high schoolish narrative that has consumed this would-be Super Team, the Lakers.

First there was the report that Howard mocked Bryant to teammates for his poor shooting, prompting Bryant to confront Howard in a meeting (Howard backed down). Then Bryant suggested Howard needed to show some “urgency” in returning from a shoulder injury, with Howard firing back (through media, of course). And before the All-Star break Bryant complained about unnamed teammates laughing and joking after the Clippers drubbed them, and it's not hard to figure out he meant Howard.

Unless you are a Lakers hater who enjoys the drama, there is no real rooting interest in this. Howard is too sensitive and not serious enough about winning. Bryant admits he's hard to play with, but of course those five championships give him a pass.

At this point The Hater would have more respect for Howard if he just went ahead and swung on Bryant one good time. He suspects Bryant might feel the same way.

The Hater is in the house.