Kobe Bryant had one of the greatest basketball careers of any NBA player. In the 20 years he dribbled a basketball, he won five championships playing alongside two Hall of Famers. However, he could have had at least one more when he had another superstar player alongside him. Dwight Howard was the second big man from the Orlando Magic that the Los Angeles Lakers brought in. But it didn’t work out.
The former NBA champion was a guest on Gils Arena, where they discussed his career. When asked specifically about the time in LA, Howard revealed some eye-catching details. Moreover, the defensive stalwart also revealed why the pairing didn’t work out.
It was difficult playing with Kobe. Because of one, it’s the expectation you know winning. And then two is, everybody expected me and Kobe to be the new Kobe and Shaq. I was already p*ssed cause I had to go to LA. I didn’t want to go to the Lakers. Because I wanted to beat them. I made an emotional decision to leave, and I do regret that.
Dwight Howard via Gils Arena
Dwight Howard was clear that both the Magic and the Lakers forced him to accept the move. He either wanted to stay with the Orlando Magic and win a title. If he had to move, he would have preferred to move to any other Eastern Conference team, as his motivation was to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, the forced move put him in a rough spot.
Not only was he not happy, but he let his emotions get the better of him. As he now regrets that he did not win over his mind and make it work. He could have won an NBA title with Kobe Bryant if he bought into the idea of playing alongside him.
Dwight Howard eventually returned to win NBA title with Lakers
His emotions still wanted him to beat the Lakers and win an NBA title. That led Dwight Howard to James Harden, who led the Houston Rockets then. Despite being again part of a formidable duo, the NBA title aspirations fell short. Then, with further stops on multiple teams, he eventually found himself out of favor as a starter.
He took the chance to rebuild his physique and accept that he could have an impact from the bench. That’s what brought him back to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a part of the team led by LeBron James, the 8-time All-Star was finally an NBA champion. That title finally filled that one glaring hole in his career.
Howard tried to win more in his next two years again as a role player but fell short. Now, after all these years, he wished he had focused on the task at hand. He could have been a part of Lakers folklore had he won a title with the great Kobe Bryant.
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