Lakers Rumors: Feuding Superstars Must Learn to Coexist If Season Will Be Saved

Something's amiss in Los Angeles, and it very well may be the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard that's holding the team back.

As reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the two superstars nearly came to blows recently:

A league source told the Daily News that the Lakers stars got into a heated exchange following a New Year’s Day loss to the 76ers, and Bryant went for a low blow – referencing and agreeing with Shaquille O’Neal’s criticisms of Howard being soft.

Howard was restrained from going at his teammate, according to the source, and there have been rumblings from the center’s camp that he’s been unhappy with Bryant since earlier in the season.

Predictably, both the team, via ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne and the Black Mamba himself disputed Bondy's report:

Two Lakers sources have adamantly shot down the reported Dwight/Kobe incident. One said, "it's simply not true."

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 7, 2013  

@breck_onenot true chief.I keep it 100

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 7, 2013 Regardless of which side you want to believe, the truth probably lies somewhere between Bondy's report and the denials from Los Angeles.

They likely did have a heated conversation. Whether it nearly came to blows or not...we'll never know.

What we do know is that the Lakers currently sit three games under .500 and on the outside of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

Things haven't exactly gone to plan.

Losing breeds frustration, frustration creates tension, and tension leads to disagreements and arguments. When you have two ultra-competitive athletes with overbearing personalities, those arguments can—and sometimes do—become heated.

Look, I'm not saying that Kobe and Howard need to become the best of friend...

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