Ex-Laker Dwight Howard shuts heckler down after Crypto Arena return triggers 'Kobe hate' comment

Former LA Lakers center Dwight Howard returned to the Crypto.com Arena as a spectator during Friday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Howard was with his "Dancing With The Stars" partner Daniella Karagach. The duo showed off its moves to fans during the game and to the Lakers girls in a more private setting later.

The NBA released Howard's moves, showing off his latest acrobatic choreography with Daniella. Here's the video:

Many fans found it amusing, but a heckler called out Howard on this. The heckler commented on the video to revisit Kobe Bryant's beef with Howard when the two played together in LA in 2012-13 and had a seemingly turbulent relationship.

"This is what kobe hated about Dwight," the heckler wrote.

Dwight Howard didn't ignore the comment and chose to retaliate, saying:

"Shut up lol. How the hell you know what Kobe hated about another man. That's how YOU feel lol. You hate yourself so you talking to a mirror. I don't need attention so I'm spreading love and negative people like you hate it lol. But love you brother. I hope you get the attention you deserve."

Howard responds to a heckler (Image source: NBA.com)

There's a notion that Howard and Bryant never got along as teammates. That ended with Howard leaving after one season.

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What was the Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant beef about?

Dwight Howard joined Kobe Bryant in 2012 in the hopes of leading the Lakers back to a championship. However, the Lakers never improved with him on the roster. Howad's production dropped in his first season with LA. He went from averaging nearly 21 points a game to 18.3 points.

The Lakers were a mediocre team until the All-Star break. They were 25-29 until that point. According to Howard, that caused troubles in the Lakers locker room, especially between him and Bryant.

"I really can't speak for Kobe, so I'll speak for myself," Howard said in an Instagram Live video with then Lakers teammate in 2020.

"In that season that I played here, I think there was a lot of egos that was [sic] in the way of us being the team we wanted to be."

"I know that I approached that season wanting to be the best version of myself and also the man. You know, I'm young, I just felt like that at the time. It was really hard for me and Kobe to really communicate. I think we were just at two different mental stages."

Dwight Howard admitted that he and Kobe Bryant had their "disagreements and moments." However, there was no animosity between the two. Those rumors only caught fire after Howard and Bryant got into it after he left the Lakers for the Rockets.

During the infamous altercation, Bryant called Howard "soft," spreading the notion that they hated each other.