Although Kobe Bryant wanted to be more like Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan growing up, the Lakers’ legendary shooting guard found himself inclining more towards His Airness while getting better each day during his developmental years.
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In fact, he did not just copy all of Jordan’s moves by studying him, he literally became Mike after coming into the NBA. He took MJ’s killer mentality to an all-new level and established himself as a symbol of hard work and determination that in his terms would be “The Mamba Mentality.”
Meanwhile, LeBron James, much like how he plays the game, is like Magic. But there is something James and Bryant are similar at, and one of their former teammates recently revealed what sets them apart from the rest.
Dwight Howard reveals differences in Kobe Bryant and LeBron James’ personalities, points out one key similarity
Howard might not have had a good relationship with Bryant when he played with the 5x Champion in LA, he came to know certain things that make him and James quite different from each other.
In his recent appearance on Kevin Hart’s Cold as Balls, Howard revealed the differences in both his former teammates’ personalities and also the key similarity that sets them apart from the rest.
“They’re totally different as far as their personalities. Kobe is more straightforward, always locked in, just quiet. LeBron, he has music blasting, he walks around, lifting before the game. They are two different types of players, but when it comes to the work, they’re not strangers to the work. That’s what set them apart.”
The King has kept himself fitter than anyone for nearly 20 years
People who consider Jordan and Bryant better than James when it comes to the greatest to ever do it, they bring in mentality, work ethic, and better win records in the Finals.
But doing it for more than straight 19 years shows his love and dedication for the game is much better than Jordan’s, who got bored by it twice and played 15 seasons while retiring twice before finally calling it a day in 2003.
Whereas, Kobe never played any team like the Warriors of 2017 and 18, and had lost to Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks and Tim Duncan’s Spurs multiple times in the Playoffs. And neither did LeBron suffer half as many injuries as Bryant did.
Hence, those debates are never going to end. However, as Dwight said, one thing cannot be denied by the fans of these GOAT contenders, their work sets them apart from everyone else.
