LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are indisputably two of the most legendary basketball players in history. Nevertheless, they adopted distinctive approaches to the game. It has been revealed by former Los Angeles Lakers player, Dwight Howard, that James and Bryant had divergent attitudes during practice.
Dwight Howard has had three brief stints playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of which was alongside Bryant in the 2012-13 season after he was traded from the Orlando Magic. The other two times were during the 2019-20 season when the team was led by James, and they ultimately won the championship.
Dwight Howard said on the show “My Expert Opinion” that James was more relaxed around the building. Howard said that James isn’t afraid to have fun before and after practice, but he knows when it’s time to work.
Dwight Howard said, “LeBron almost acts like someone from the southside of Georgia.” “We were like twins, kidding, being silly, and having fun. We’d go out on the court and still have fun, but we’d be the best.
Dwight Howard says that’s the exact opposite of how Bryant played the game. Howard said that there were times when Bryant wouldn’t talk to or even recognize his teammates before practice. With the benefit of perspective, Howard now thinks Bryant was trying to set the tone for practice.
Dwight Howard said, “Kobe isn’t bluffing with no one.” “He might not come talk to us in the changing room. Everyone is like, “So he’s going to walk right by us and not touch anyone, nod his head, or do anything?” He would just walk past us. That’s exactly how he’d come in. Now that I think about it, he was probably just trying everyone ready for practice because we were too loud. He would walk in while we were kidding and laughing. He just did things in a different way.”
Dwight Howard’s stories show, if anything, that there is more than one way to do well in the NBA. Bryant was known for having a “Black Mamba” mentality, which gave him a killer sense when the game was on the line. Even though James seems a little calmer, the two players have won nine titles between them.
