Basketball fans have debated the greatness between the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James for many years. No matter how much effort is put into an argument, it doesn’t change the opinion of a fan is an outside point of view. NBA legend Dwight Howard had the privilege of playing with both of them. As a result, he’s probably more qualified than most to debate the difference between the two.
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Howard’s illustrious 18-year NBA career led him to play with a plethora of tremendous talent. He began his career as the number one option with the Orlando Magic. But it wasn’t until the 2012-13 season that Howard played alongside another true star player in Kobe Bryant.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year played with Bryant for one season with the Los Angeles Lakers. At the time, it seemed like pairing could compete for multiple championships. Time would tell that would be far from the case.
Despite his first tenure in LA ending prematurely, Howard would return for the 2019-20 season to join forces with James. He became one of 16 players to play with the two legendary stars.
In a guest appearance on the Club 520 Podcast, Howard finally stated the long-awaited revelation.
“[Kobe Bryant’s] an a**hole, he doesn’t give a f**k,” Howard proclaimed. “[LeBron James] gives a f**k. He wants everybody to like him.” Instead of highlighting their abilities on the court, Howard believes the main difference comes from their approach to the game. “I just think they’re two ends of the spectrum when it comes to their personalities,” Howard said.
They may have approached the game differently, but their approach doesn’t nullify their greatness. Both Bryant and James found a way to dominate throughout their NBA career. Regardless, Howard couldn’t avoid the question from Jeff Teague probing for his opinion on who he believes is better. He didn’t give a definitive answer but differentiated the two in one specific aspect.
“Scoring-wise, you’ve got to go with Kobe,” Howard said. Immediately, Teague provided pushback on his response. The former Atlanta Hawks guard brought up James’ status as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Shortly after, all the hosts engaged in a brief debate.
Howard, however, didn’t want to become engulfed in the ongoing debate. He shifted the conversation to highlight who he believes is the greatest player of all time, and picked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “Kareem is the GOAT because he got the one shot nobody could stop, and he had 30,000 points shooting [two-pointers],” Howard said.
Of course, LeBron made history in 2023 when he surpassed Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s leading scorer. Despite Teague’s attempt to change his mind, Howard remains firm in his stance on the six-time NBA champion being the best to ever play.
Fans could nitpick for differences between Bryant and James for as long as time goes on. The one thing that’ll never change is their everlasting impact on the game of basketball.
