Kobe Bryant: Does the LA Lakers Star Have a Feud with Dwyane Wade?

The 2011 NBA All-Star weekend was filed with excitement.

From the Three-Point Shootout, to Justin Beiber, to Blake Griffin dunking over a car, the festivities were some of the most memorable in years.
 
Some of the juiciest stories were in Sunday’s game. The Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 148-143 as the hometown hero—Kobe Bryant—won the MVP.
 
Throughout the game there was an interesting rift that developed between Kobe and Dwyane Wade.
 
Comments were made and the two were jawing at one another a lot more than usual considering it was an exhibition game.
 
Let’s take a look at why this may or may not be a situation to keep an eye on as the season rolls on.

8. D-Wade’s Postgame Quote

Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Western Conference celebrates after being named MVP for the fourth time in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on February 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE

From Slamonline:
 
“Kobe was going for MVP tonight,” Dwyane Wade said. “It was that obvious. I think my three-year-old son knew it.”
 
Strong words from Wade—is that an intentional jab at the selfishness of Bryant? Virtually every other player showered Kobe with endless praise after Sunday's game.

Not Wade.

7. Not a Huge Deal to D-Wade

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 04: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dwayne Wade #3 of the Miami Heat share a laugh in the fourth quarter at Staples Center on December 4, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers defeated the Heat 108-107. NOTE

Just because Wade said that about Kobe’s All-Star intentions doesn’t mean it’s a big deal.
 
The game was held in L.A., and the entire weekend is supposed to be geared toward the fans. So what if Kobe was going to be a ball hog in a meaningless game that has no real consequences, win or lose?
 
Wade may have been telling the truth in his non-congratulatory comments, but it doesn’t mean he is necessarily angry or begrudging about it.

6. Whispers Before Tip

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat defends Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA game at Staples Center on December 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Heat defeated the Lakers 96-80. (Photo by Victor D

Kobe was whispering something into Wade’s ear as the two teams met at midcourt for the opening tip.
 
What was said?
 
We will never know, but Kobe stripped the ball from Wade on three separate occasions and looked to be thrilled in doing so.
 
Bryant was clearly focused on his defense against Wade. Bizarre, considering the final score combined to be almost 300 points.

5. Kobe’s Ultra Competitiveness Wasn’t Solely Directed at Wade

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Western Conference attempts to steal the ball from Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat and the Eastern Conference in the first quarter of the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples

Sure, he was able to steal the ball three times from Wade. But he was a man on a mission from the moment he woke up on Sunday.
 
He was focused on getting that MVP and was going to approach the game like any other regular season affair.
 
Taking 26 shots is ridiculous in an All-Star game in route to 37 points. The proof of the extreme amount of effort he exerted was the whopping 10 offensive rebounds he pulled in.
 
He was in a zone Sunday at Staples Center.

4. Kobe Is Still Fuming from X-Mas Day Massacre

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball to the basket as Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers gets called for a blocking foul during the NBA game at Staples Center on December 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, Califo

The first game of the 2010-2011 season that everyone had circled on their calendars—the Heat went into L.A. and stomped the Lakers 96-80.
 
Kobe shot a horrid 6-of-16 from the floor and only scored 17 points while turning the ball over four times.
 
D-Wade was in charge of defending Kobe for most of the game and his smothering defense seemed to get under Bryant’s skin.
 
It’s safe to say that Kobe had memories of Christmas Day running through his head on Sunday.

3. Why Did Wade Leave the Game So Early?

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat and the Eastern Conference goes up for a dunk in the first half in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on February 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly

Wade tweaked his ankle in the third quarter and never returned for the rest of the game. But Wade was seen laughing and even jumping up out of his seat on the bench.
 
Why didn’t Wade go back into the game?
 
Wade claims that if it were a regular season game he would have returned.
 
But what if Wade didn’t want to get caught up in the cat-and-mouse game with the ultra-competitive Bryant? What if Wade knew the physicality between the two was escalating and Wade didn’t want to fall for Bryant’s trap?

2. Friendly Banter for the Fans

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the jump shot against Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat during the NBA game at Staples Center on December 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Heat defeated the Lakers 96-

The game is all about the fans, and sparking a little feud between two of the NBA’s biggest stars is never a bad thing.
 
The ‘ole wily vet with five rings versus the young gun on the most popular team isn’t a bad thing to watch.
 
Maybe the two sides agreed to a little premeditated fun before the game kicked off? Maybe commissioner David Stern asked Kobe to pick a guy from the other side and create a little drama?
 
Conspiracy theories anyone?

1. Kobe Knows the Heat Are His Biggest Obstacle

Doug Benc/Getty Images

MIAMI - DECEMBER 19: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers has his shot altered by the defense of Dwyane Wade #3 and Mario Chalmers #6 of the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on December 19, 2008 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly a

Ever since LeBron’s “Decision”, the Heat have had a giant target on their collective backs.
 
Whether it be the way everything was handled—culminating in an awkward dance show in the form of its fans—or the way three stars decided to cop out and join forces, nobody is a fan of the Heat outside of Miami.
 
Kobe had to be furious that the storyline of a potential three-peat and sixth ring was going to play second fiddle to the “Heatles”.
 
Kobe has a giant-sized ego and imagine his disdain for D-Wade when he stole away some of his shine by essentially recruiting LeBron and Chris Bosh to South Beach.

Verdict

Doug Benc/Getty Images

MIAMI - DECEMBER 19: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat drives past Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Arena on December 19, 2008 in Miami, Florida. The Heat defeated the Lakers 89-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges a

It’s clear that Kobe is not cut from the same cloth as most of the NBA stars of today.
 
He isn’t interested in being friends with any player that isn’t on his team.

D-Wade is the opposite.

He is the face of the buddy-buddy AAU generation of guys that are all friends with each other regardless of what jersey they wear.
 
Combine that with “The Decision”, the X-Mas massacre and all of the attention that the Heat have received over the Lakers this season and Kobe is out for blood against the Heat—and especially D-Wade.
 
When they play on March 10th, you better believe there will be no love lost between the two.
 
The two sides collided this weekend and the fireworks between them boiled over into the game and into postgame comments.

May I remind you that this game meant zilch.
 
As the stakes increase and the two favorites to reach the Finals do just that, we have the best current day feud in the NBA brewing right before our eyes.
 
Stay tuned…