The Los Angeles Lakers entered into a period of transitioning and rebuilding following the departure of veteran coach Phil Jackson from the organization in 2011. With the best of talents, such as Kobe Bryant, on his roster, Jackson won five championships, including a three-peat from 1999-2002 and two more championships in 2009 and 2010 with the Lakers.
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Though Bryant was an important catalyst during the glory days of the franchise, his being the centerpiece for the team was one of the greatest predicaments for the rebuild process of the Lakers. During that time, his notoriety as a difficult teammate became even more magnified, with players even choosing not to play with the legend for this issue.
A feature article published in ESPN magazine in 2014 highlighted the statements of several anonymous players and agents who expressed their woes of facing difficulties in playing alongside Kobe Bryant at the Lakers. The article highlighted how Bryant used to undermine anyone within the franchise who would threaten his supremacy.
Speaking about Kobe, an anonymous agent commented, “I’ve had a lot of clients in five years, good players, who didn’t want to play with Kobe…Anyone who could possibly challenge Kobe for the spotlight ends up becoming a pincushion for the media. Even Shaq.” Perhaps this was one of the very reasons why Kobe Bryant could never got along with Dwight Howard, one of the best centers of the time and a Laker during the 2012-13 season.
NBA legend Steve Nash, who played for the Lakers between 2012 and 2015, once commented that when one plays with Kobe Bryant, the ball always has to be in his hands. Another Lakers’ inner circle source claimed that Kobe was not as good and efficient as he thought. The source told ESPN, “He’s just not as efficient as he thinks he is. If he had the other intangibles, like LeBron, or if he was any kind of different person, it would have been easy for us to attract talent, retain it, and win.”
Though LeBron James has assumed the same amount of influence and hold over the front office in today’s era, there has been no report of players ever finding it uncomfortable to play alongside the 4x champion. In fact, in NBA.com’s 2023-24 GM Survey, James received 27% of the votes, holding him as one of the best leaders for his team, closely beating Stephen Curry for this distinction.
Though Kobe wanted to be a doting leader for his team, his aggressive approach was something that did not resonate with many of his teammates. On the other hand, LeBron James has always remained open to recruiting young and good talent since he arrived at the franchise in 2018. Perhaps this was the reason why he could help the Lakers secure their 17th championship in 2020 and lead them to a Western Conference Finals last season, only to be swept by the eventual 2023 NBA champions, Denver Nuggets.
Kobe Bryant had a difficult time fitting in with teammates Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard
Kobe Bryant’s perfectionist nature had caused him to get into several fall-outs with his teammates. His most notable feud was with his three-peat teammate Shaquille O’Neal, who had assumed the role of mentoring Kobe as a veteran during his time with the Lakers. However, since Kobe always wanted to assume his identity as a superstar on the court, his beef with Shaq grew exponentially to the point where the big man had to seek fresh opportunities with the Miami Heat in the East.
Though Kobe and Shaq are regarded as the best on-court duos, their off-court drama and issues surrounding it were something that led to the fall of what could have become one of the league’s greatest team dynasties. After Shaq’s departure, Kobe had assumed unwavering influence to the point where newer, incoming rookies and veterans found it difficult to gel along with the 5x superstar.
When Dwight Howard arrived for his first stint with the Lakers in 2012, he had difficulties getting along with Bryant, who disapproved of Howard’s approach to the game. Bryant would often call Howard ‘soft’ and always questioned the 3x Defensive Player of the Year’s commitment towards winning a championship, among other things. Howard’s first stint with the Lakers was rather ill-fated. However, there were better things to come for the All-Star center when he joined the Lakeshow back during LeBron James’ era.
During the Lakers’ 2020 championship campaign, Howard scored season-high stats and helped the Lakers gain a considerable lead during the Finals series against the Miami Heat. Perhaps, it was the change in leadership that best suited Howard, who could finally live his dream of winning a championship in a second, rejuvenated stint with the Lakers under a new leadership.
