Dwight Howard played with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, but believes the Black Mamba’s mentality and killer instinct set him apart from everyone else.
Dwight Howard was among the privileged few who played with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He teamed up with the Black Mamba during the 2012-13 season in Los Angeles and later captured a championship alongside LeBron in 2020. Even earlier, all three were teammates on the 2008 Redeem Team that brought home Olympic gold from Beijing.
With this in mind, Dwight has plenty to say about what it was like playing alongside two of the game’s biggest icons.
“LeBron is a killer, but then you got Kobe. He is a mercenary,” the three-time Defensive Player of the Year said on The Big Podcast with Shaquille O’Neal. “He’s an assassin, like, he has taken it to whole another level of killing. He’s one of the guys that went to go get Osama bin Laden. He’s one of the Seal Team Six. LeBron, he’s right outside. He’s next.”
Dwight’s words might sound hyperbolic, but his experience playing with both legends backs up the comparison. While Kobe was all about taking the fight to the enemy with precision, LeBron brought a more tactical, team-first approach to the game.
Mike and Magic
Of course, like D12, The Big Diesel played with both superstars at very different career stages. O’Neal was in his absolute prime when he had young “Frobe,” but already near the finish line when he joined “The Chosen One” in Cleveland. Nonetheless, the 2000 NBA MVP also offered an apt comparison of the difference between Kobe and Bron as players.
“Somebody said this a long time ago, and I don’t usually listen to what they say, but its Magic (Johnson) and Mike (Jordan). Same mystique, both great players, but like you said, Dwight, Magic is like (imitates showtime sounds). Mike, I’m going to score 20 straight points on you. It’s different, but both great players,” O’Neal sounds off.
Johnson and Jordan were undoubtedly great players but used different tools to carve out their legendary careers. Kobe and LeBron each borrowed from that script, one trying to beat you through sheer will while the other maps every step like a general marching to inevitable victory. They had two different approaches that led to pretty much the same results.
GOAT conversation
Regardless of which type of player fans prefer, the 1992 first-overall pick wanted one thing: Both deserve a seat at the table regarding the GOAT conversation. After all, greatness didn’t care if you smiled through it or tore your opponents apart.
“My thing is, when you start talking about the GOAT, I just want all the names mentioned. And you gotta start adding Steph Curry in there now. That’s all… If you’re going start talking about these people, yes, it’s Jordan, yes, it’s LeBron, but you can’t forget Kobe, and you can’t forget Steph,” Shaq added.
The Big Fella has repeatedly vouched for Bryant’s place in the GOAT conversation and has also thrown Curry’s name in there recently. “The Baby-Faced Assassin,” of course, is the best three-point shooter to touch a basketball, and his influence on the modern game alone should warrant him a mention at the very least.
Nonetheless, Kobe and LeBron will forever be compared because of the stylistic differences in their game. While there will never be a clear-cut winner in this debate, there’s no denying that they have had a lasting impact on basketball.
