Former NBA star Dwight Howard is among the few to have gotten the opportunity to be a teammate of both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. So, when Howard appeared on the Club 520 Podcast, he was unsurprisingly asked who he considers to be the better player between James and Bryant.
“Everything combined, you got to give it to LeBron,” Howard said. “Scoring-wise, I got to say I like Kobe. If it’s late in the game, I’m giving the ball to Kobe. I’m not going to give the ball to LeBron late in the game. I’m going to give it to Kobe.”
Howard believes James is the better player, but considers Bryant to be more clutch than him. He isn’t the first to give this take, and won’t be the last.
James has had a reputation for not being a clutch player, primarily because he often passes the ball rather than taking the last shot. The 40-year-old has always insisted on making the right play in those situations, and that has led to this narrative about him being scared of the big moments being formed.
The fact of the matter, though, is that he has delivered in those moments fairly often. James has made eight go-ahead or game-tying shots in the final five seconds of a playoff game. That’s more than anyone else since 1997, and he has been relatively efficient, too, shooting 40%. As for Bryant, he went 4-18 (22.2%).
James and Bryant are also tied when it comes to game-winning buzzer-beaters with eight each in their careers. Only Michael Jordan (nine) has hit more.
These numbers make it pretty apparent James is an incredible clutch performer, but he’s never going to get the respect he deserves for that. Howard did name him as the better player of the two, at least, and the resume shows that, too.
James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and has made 21 All-Star, 21 All-NBA, and six All-Defensive teams.
Bryant, meanwhile, won five titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles. He also made 18 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, and 12 All-Defensive teams.
Dwight Howard On The Difference Between LeBron James And Kobe Bryant’s Leadership Styles
Howard played alongside James and Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers. He was with the former for two seasons (2019-20 and 2021-22) and with the latter for one (2012-13). During an appearance on the My Expert Opinion Show, Howard explained the difference between James and Bryant as locker room leaders.
“LeBron’s almost act like somebody from the south side of Georgia. We actin’ kind of like twins. Joking, (being) silly, having a good time. We get on the court, we still gonna have a good time, but we’re gonna dominate. Kobe, he not bulls***ing with nobody. He might not come to the locker room to talk, so he’s just gonna walk all the way past us.”
That’s pretty much in line with their personalities. This was why Bryant ended up rubbing some of his teammates the wrong way. He was aloof and wasn’t interested in being friends with anybody. James, on the other hand, didn’t mind having some fun and built a more friendly environment.
