Los Angeles Lakers big man Dwight Howard is enjoying a resurgence during his second stint with the franchise. In fact, he's slated to participate in this year's Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend and last month lobbied for some help from a Lakers legend.
In January, Howard admitted that he wanted to ask Kobe Bryant to assist him in the Slam Dunk Contest, but didn't reveal if Bryant had responded to his request. Following Tuesday's win over the San Antonio Spurs, Howard told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that Bryant had agreed to help Howard in the dunk contest prior to his death.
"He was going to do something for me in the dunk contest, which is kind of heartbreaking," Howard said. "It's been on my mind every day. Man, I can't believe it. I'm still in shock. It hurts. It's tough. I just never thought that somebody like that would be gone."
Howard and Bryant didn't have the best relationship during Howard's first tenure with the Lakers. The former top pick played just one season in Los Angeles before signing with the Houston Rockets during the 2013 offseason.
However, the made up in the following years and even embraced at a game in November. Howard has completely changed his attitude and been a force off the bench for the Lakers throughout the season.
"... It's something that, you know, I just tell people, if you have any bitterness or anger, whatever, strife towards anybody, let it go," Howard told ESPN. "Let them know how you feel. Get those feelings out. Let them know because you never know what could happen. Life comes and goes just like that. For me, it's super sad because I really wanted to tell him how much I appreciate everything he's done, all the things he's said. Even at the time that we were on the same team, we didn't understand each other.
Howard had been adamant about getting Bryant to help him out in the dunk contest and it certainly would've been a spectacle that fans would've loved. When Howard was lobbying for Bryant to help him, it was clear that he was excited about the prospect of the legendary guard joining him in Chicago.
"I'm trying to get Kobe," Howard told McMenamin last month. "So if I can get all the Laker fans to lobby to get Kobe to help me in the dunk contest, that'd be really good. That'd be awesome."
Howard and the rest of the sports world continues to mourn the tragic death of one of its most beloved superstars. It's hard to imagine how much Bryant's presence at the All-Star Game would've meant to Howard and Bryant's legion of fans.
