Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant discussed on Wednesday where he thinks soon-to-be free agents Dwight Howard and Chris Paul will land. He also dished on his all-time NBA starting-five dream team.
Bryant spoke first on Howard, stressing the importance for the franchise to re-sign the All-Star center.
"Those guys are hard to find, they don't grow on trees," Bryant told ESPN radio, according to L.A. Times. "When you have someone like that with this talent level, you have to be able to keep him and lock him in with the franchise."
Howard, who becomes a free agent on July 1, is expected to entertain offers from the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. While the Lakers will make a strong push for Howard, Bryant hasn't begun personally pitching him to stay.
"I've spoken to him maybe a couple of weeks ago, just to check in with him," Bryant said. "...I haven't spoken to him since. I know he's got a big decision to make and I'm sure he'll take the visits and talk to the players on the teams he's considering. We'll touch base a lot more."
Bryant also made his prediction of where Howard and Paul end up playing next season.
"There's always so much talk going on, especially with big-name guys going here, going there, but that happens once in a blue moon," Bryant said. "I think at the end of the day, everybody stays."
As for Bryant's all-time NBA dream team, he chose Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
On Bird, he added: "I will just say as the years go on people really forget how great Larry Bird was. He was ridiculous. And I grew up in L.A. - just like everyone else here - hating his guts. Dude - the guy was just money."
Bryant is still rehabbing from his Achilles surgery, which is going well.
"I've been rehabbing now for about a month, almost a month and a half," Bryant said. "... Now I'm starting to do a little more. Walking on the AlterG [weight-bearing treadmill], doing a little bit of the elliptical, doing some strength work, life calf raises and things like that."
Bryant is confident he'll return to form and anticipates returning by the season opener.
