Kobe Bryant, along with LeBron James, are two of the greatest of all time NBA superstars. James was a few years junior to Bryant. But since the former for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the latter for the Los Angeles Lakers met for the first time, fans knew this rivalry was going to get interesting. The Cavaliers and the Lakers had a fierce rivalry because of these two superstars. They had a different style of playing the game of basketball, but both were more or less equally effective.
However, they became teammates when Kobe Bryant led the USA “Redeem Team” in the 2008 Olympics. They were great together on the court as well. But they never got the chance to represent the Los Angeles Lakers together, wearing the same jersey on the court. But there is a legendary Defensive Player of the League who played with both James and Bryant for the Lakers. He is Dwight Howard.
Dwight Howard Suggests How Different Kobe And LeBron’s Style Has Been
In a recent interview on a podcast Expert Opinion with Math Hoffa, he mentioned the difference between Bryant’s and James’ leadership styles. Interestingly enough, Dwight Howard played with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the Lakers on two different stints. Every fan is aware of the different leadership styles of the two greats of the game. But Howard provided an in-depth analysis. According to Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant would never joke around with the players. He would just come and then pass them. Perhaps it was a way of telling his teammates to get ready for practice.
However, LeBron James would always share a laugh with his teammates. Hence, Dwight Howard felt much easier around King James. But he sure does appreciate what Kobe Bryant tried to do for the team and to get wins. Hence, Dwight Howard declared that they had different styles but had the same objective. The motivation is always to win titles. But the two greats dominated the game in their own way. Kobe Bryant won more titles than LeBron James. But the King still has time to equal Kobe’s championship tally or even surpass him if the Lakers win the title next year.
Kobe Bryant & LeBron James Were Rivals Cum Brothers
Moreover, Bryant went on to win five NBA titles with the Lakers back in the first decade of the 21st century. The Lakers were the most dominating dynasty back then. Unlike Bryant, LeBron James has played for three different teams and won titles for each team so far. He won a title with his hometown franchise, Cleveland Cavaliers, and two titles with Miami Heat.
But the last title King James won was for the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the Lakers franchise in 2018. Kobe Bryant was there to welcome LeBron James to their Lakers family. After Kobe Bryant passed away, in his memory, LeBron James gave a speech. In that speech, he mentioned the goal is to keep winning titles for the Lakers Nation because that’s what Kobe would have liked. They were fierce rivals on the court but brothers off the court.