LeBron James has been a sensation since his debut in NBA. There is a reason why he is called the King. After all, for twenty years, the kid from Akron, Ohio, ruled the league. Moreover, he became the leader of the all-time scoring last season. Other than being the all-time scoring leader, King James also had a selection in the All-Star games the most number of times, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Lakers ace has won four championships along with four-time MVPs. In terms of achievements, very few players come close to LeBron James. Recently, former Lakers Legend Dwight Howard spoke about his old friend LeBron James on My Expert Opinion podcast show with Math Hoffa. Howard told Hoffa that he is really proud of LeBron James as he has been playing with him since he was 15 years old.
Dwight Howard Is Proud Of LeBron James
Moreover, Howard remembers when LeBron James broke Kobe Bryant’s record in January 2020 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Dwight Howard was part of the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2020. He was part of the 17th championship-winning Lakers team. Hence, it is understandable why Howard would be proud of LeBron James. They have played against each other and with each other for many years. Dwight Howard had two different stints with the Los Angeles Lakers. In these two different stints, he experienced something very few players had the chance to go through.
During his first stint with the Lakers, he played under the leadership of Kobe Bryant. But in his second stint, the leader was LeBron James. On the podcast, Howard revealed how different James and Bryant were as leaders. According to Dwight Howard, LeBron James generally likes to joke around and have fun with his teammates. But Kobe Bryant was a no-nonsense guy. He might not talk to anybody in the locker room and just pass everybody. Howard mentioned perhaps it was Kobe’s way of telling his teammates to get ready for practice. Since Dwight Howard knows James and Bryant so well, he revealed his take on the GOAT debate.
Howard Doesn’t Think Kobe Or LeBron To Be The GOAT
On My Expert Opinion podcast, Dwight Howard mentioned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is number one in his GOAT list, then comes Michael Jordan. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are 3 and 4 on Howard’s list. When asked why, he replied nobody acknowledges a big man as the GOAT. Moreover, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored more than 30,000 points without any three-pointers in the game of basketball. He faced tougher times to score points. It was even tough for the centers back in those days of the ‘Captain.’
Hence, Dwight Howard logically selects Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as his number one pick for the GOAT debate. LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38-year-old record, at the age of 38, on February 7, 2023. It was a record that many believed was unsurpassable. Many greats of the game came close, like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, and so on. But none of them could break Kareem’s record. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant ended their career with their names among the top five all-time top scorers. But Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was untouchable for so long. But almost 40 years later, King James was able to do the unthinkable.
