Kobe: Barbs at Howard ‘heat of the moment’

Hold up, Kobe says he didn't mean it. (USATSI)

In the Los Angeles Lakers' opening night loss to the Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant got into a tussle with Dwight Howard, and later had some insulting, and extremely NSFW words for his former teammate. Then last Sunday in a Thunder loss to the Rockets, Kevin Durant called Howard a name as well.

On Thursday, Bryant told reporters that in the heat of the moment, players say things they don't mean.

"No, I don't feel that way. I don't think Kevin does, either," said Bryant, who scored a game-high 29 points against the Rockets. "In moments of confrontation during a game, you'll say things in the heat of the moment.

"I know Dwight. I'm sure Kevin does. We don't really feel that way about him. It's like when you get in an argument with somebody, you'll say things out of frustration, out of anger, that you don't really mean."

"Heat of the battle, heat of the moment," Bryant said of his comments. "You [reporters] have all been in arguments, you guys that are married. Sometimes you say things that you wish you could take back that you don't really mean. But it's in the heat of confrontation, and sometimes things come out."

via Kobe Bryant: Heat of the moment can say things we don't mean -- CBS Houston.

Bryant of course had issues with Howard when they were teammates in LA, according to multiple reports. That's a pretty extreme response to just parse it as "losing your cool," especially when you consider that Bryant continued chirping at Howard for being "soft" during an official's review, from his own bench. It's pretty rare that you see one player garner those kinds of comments inside of a week.

Bryant has gotten in trouble for things he's said before, as he was fined $100,000 in 2011 for using a homosexual slur on the floor.

It's kind of hard to imagine a scenario in which you would say things to the level that Bryant did and not mean them. Even with a hyper-competitive attitude that Bryant obviously has, those are pretty personal attacks, if juvenile.

HT: PBT

Topics: Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Report: Danny Ainge telling other teams he won’t trade Rajon Rondo

This could be the perfect time for the Celtics to trade Rajon Rondo.

By leading the league with 11.8 assists per game and adding 10.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest, Rondo is proving his success isn’t just a product of playing with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Even just slightly better teammates in Boston and improved health have made the Celtics point guard again look like one of the NBA’s top players.

But Rondo will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Celtics could lose him for nothing. They should at least consider selling high.

If they are, they’re not telling other teams.

Howard Beck of Bleacher Report:

Rival executives say that Ainge has been firm in his stance that Rondo will not be dealt. But many of those same executives believe that Ainge has to trade Rondo, to avoid losing him for nothing next summer.

“They’re definitely bravely saying they won’t trade him at this point,” said one general manager, who nevertheless added, “I definitely think it’s the right thing to trade him. I think Danny knows it.”

Kendrick Perkins, who still talks regularly with Rondo, says Rondo should stay and believes Rondo wants to say. For his part, Rondo has repeatedly spoken positively about the Celtics, though there was a report this offseason he asked for a trade (which he denied).

But once he starts hearing other teams’ pitches this summer, who knows what will happen? Not even Rondo, who has never been a free agent, can fully know now how he’ll respond.

Rondo wants a max contract, and he should get one. There’s a solid chance it’ll be in Boston, but how much longer is Ainge will to gamble on it?

The 4-6 Celtics are just outside playoff position in the East. If they play well until the trade deadline, that could keep Ainge believing Rondo is happy enough with the team’s direction to re-sign. But if they slide and Rondo begins to show frustration, maybe other executives will begin to a hear a different message from the Celtics general manager when they call about Rondo.