- Dwight Howard played with both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the NBA
- He ranked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan at the top of his list
- James came in third, and Bryant was fourth
Former Los Angeles Lakers big man Dwight Howard was one of the players who shared the floor with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and in a recent interview ranked the two players on his GOAT list. The answer, if anything, comes as a surprise.
Speaking on Math Hoffa’s Expert Opinion podcast, Howard shared his thoughts on his GOAT list and placed LeBron James at No. 3 and Kobe Bryant at No. 4.
“I think it’s 1A and 1B with Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] and [Michael] Jordan.”
[Starts 9:00 onwards]
He then followed it up by saying James was third, while Kobe was the fourth. Even though having James as the third greatest is a huge surprise, his list is a lot better and more realistic than Julius Erving’s controversial all-time list.
In his three stints with the Lakers, Howard had the distinction of playing with some big names on the team.
In his first season as a Laker, Howard averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in his one season with the team.
In 2019-20, he inked a non-guaranteed contract and found himself to be a vital cog in the lineup as the Lakers lifted the championship. His third run was a damp squib as he averaged just 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks over his two seasons with James.
Howard later plied his trade for the Taoyuan Leopards in the T1 league in Taiwan, finding success by averaging 23.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in his maiden stint in the league.
Dwight Howard Compared LeBron James And Kobe Bryant’s Locker Room Leadership Styles
Having played in the NBA for 18 years, Howard has seen both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as opponents and teammates, and when he spent time in the locker room with both icons, he had his observations on their locker room leadership styles.
“LeBron’s almost at 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.”
The explanation couldn’t have been more true. The Black Mamba would switch to his game mode, and that meant getting in the zone. There wouldn’t be any mischief or jokes running about. His work ethic was at an extreme and Howard would have seen that up close.
Their leadership styles may be contrasting, but they work. Now, only time will tell if LeBron can take the team across for another title and whether Howard gets another shot at playing with him if he makes a comeback in the NBA.
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