Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

During an appearance on FS1’s Fair Game with Kristine Leahy, big man Dwight Howard, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2012-13 season, says he appreciates Kobe Bryant for calling him “soft”:

“I kinda hated him for saying that because I looked at it the wrong way. I think he was more so talking about my mentality … not how I am on the court. And I didn’t realize that because all the noise surrounding him saying I was soft. And I hated him. I hated him for that moment … Everybody reaches different levels of maturity at different times. I think at that time I was ignorant to the level that he was at. So I appreciate you, Kobe. Thank you for saying I was soft. I didn’t realize what you meant until now,” Howard said, per Complex.