Dwight Howard recently joined Shams Charania of Stadium to discuss his return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Amid their discussion, Howard reacted to Kobe Bryant's confidence in his second stint with the team.

Bryant believes his former teammate is ready to succeed in his second tenure with the Lakers. Howard hadn't heard Bryant's comments, but he says he appreciates his faith:

Shams: One thing that Kobe said recently is that he thinks you're going to be great in terms of focusing on your role. Have you spoken to him since you got here? What's your take on what he said?

Howard: I haven't spoken to him, but I appreciate him saying that. He didn't have to, but … he's right.

Howard averaged 17.1 points and a league-best 12.4 rebounds in his first stint with the Lakers (2012-13), but there was a lot of drama and he dealt with back issues throughout the season. This go-round, he's just trying to make the team and contribute in any way he can.

Now entering his 16th year of service in the NBA, Howard appeared in only nine games with the Washington Wizards last season due to injury, racking up averages of 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game.

The Lakers finished the 2018-19 regular season with a disappointing 37-45 overall record. Injuries played a role in that mark, to be sure. With Howard and Anthony Davis joining the roster, Los Angeles will look to find its way back into postseason contention.