NBA news: Back in 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to be the favorites to win a championship. They recruited Dwight Howard, who at that time was one of the top big men in the NBA, to pair him with Kobe Bryant. Former two-time MVP Steve Nash also joined the team, and on paper, the Lakers were pretty much unbeatable.
At the end of the day, however, it was the Lakers that beat themselves. Howard and Kobe never got on the same page, and it led to the former leaving LA after just one season.
NBA News: Dwight Howard Admits Regret Over Leaving Kobe Bryant, Lakers in 2013
In a recent roundtable interview, Howard got brutally honest about his decision to leave Hollywood. According to the eight-time All-Star, this decision was primarily motivated by his desire to team up with James Harden with the Houston Rockets. Howard said he saw Harden as “a younger version of Kobe” and that together, they could be the next iteration of the Kobe and Shaq duo.
Howard did admit that at that time, he had some unsettled beef with Bryant — one that they could have easily resolved if they really tried:
“Me and Kobe we could have figured that out,” Howard said. “I think we left a lot of s**t out on the table. We could have figured that out.”
Howard then went on to admit that he holds some regret about leaving the Lakers when he did as well as the manner in which he departed:
“I felt like if I could have stayed in LA, I think a lot of the narratives would have changed about me,” he said. “… I didn’t really say anything about (why I left LA), and I should have stepped up. I should have manned up and said something. Looking back on it, If I would’ve sat down and really thought about my decisions without being in my emotions, I probably would’ve stayed probably in LA at that time.”
“I looked at [James Harden] as a younger version of Kobe. I don’t know why I was thinking that… If I would’ve sat down and really thought about my decisions without being in my emotions, I probably would’ve stayed in LA.”
—Dwight Howard
(via @MATHHOFFA)pic.twitter.com/nBpbXomiKL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 4, 2023
Howard would go on to return to LA in 2019, this time alongside LeBron James. He finally won a chip in what was his redemption run with the Lakers. However, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that he probably could have won at least one as well in his previous stint if only he hashed it out with Kobe.
NBA News: When Dwight Howard Wanted to Give Giannis Antetokounmpo a Stone Cold Stunner
Howard has had his share of on-court battles with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Anteotkounmpo as well. A couple of years ago, when Howard was still with the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis hit a clutch shot in overtime, which eventually led to a Bucks win. To celebrate, Antetokounmpo took a seat at midcourt. The home crowd in Philadelphia didn’t like it and they started booing the Bucks talisman. Howard did not appreciate Giannis’ antics either:
“Oh, yeah, I wanted to go and Stone Cold Stunner him,” Howard said, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “I already got one tech; it’s basketball. He wants to have fun, but we’ll see these guys again. We don’t want to make a big scene about what he did.”
Giannis was met with boos from the Philadelphia crowd after hitting a jumper and sitting down on the court…pic.twitter.com/UisQ4XbYqK
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 18, 2021
Well, we’re just glad Howard didn’t follow through with his violent plan.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
