Former Lakers Star reveals good relationship with LeBron and Tension with Kobe Bryant

In a recent interview, Dwight Howard, the Lakers’ multi-time Defensive Player of the Year and 2020 champion, discussed both of his stays with the team.

According to ClutchPoints, Howard was commented about the differences between playing with late Kobe Bryant and current Lakers forward LeBron James during his first stint in Los Angeles.

It’s a fascinating comparison because Kobe Bryant’s rivalry with Howard was well chronicled, even after Howard left LA for the first time to join the Rockets.

After teaming up Howard and Bryant with experienced point guard Steve Nash, All-Star power big Pau Gasol, and defensive stalwart Metta World Peace, the Lakers appeared to be the league’s next superteam, much like the Heat and Boston’s Big Three before them.

Instead, the purple and gold’s 2012-13 season was a disaster, with injuries preventing any chemistry or coherence among the team and taxing those who were healthy enough to play.

Kobe was the primary casualty of carrying such a tremendous load on his shoulders, and his Achilles eventually gave out from the long hours he was putting in simply to keep the Lakers in games.

Laker fans should not be surprised to hear Howard’s difficulties with Kobe’s strong nature, nor should Howard’s preference for LeBron’s more loose personality.

After bouncing around the league, the Lakers took a chance on Howard, the former first-round pick in 2004, and he paid off by being a quality defender and rim runner for the team in key minutes off the bench.

Despite the league being put on hold due to the 2019 shutdown, the Lakers returned to the playoffs and won their 17th championship. Howard capped up the series with a long three-pointer in the final seconds of Game 6 against the Heat.

Hardware always helps athletes remember specific circumstances better, which could be the case with the former All-NBA big man.