The Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard combination was supposed to be one that led the Los Angeles Lakers for many years. Many expected Bryant to mold and teach Dwight the way until Kobe stepped aside, leaving Howard to take over the reigns of the franchise.
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As we now know, the two never quite gelled and Howard would leave the Lakers to join the Houston Rockets in 2013 via free agency. With the Lakers preparing to host Howard and the Rockets on opening night tomorrow, head coach Byron Scott gave his reason as to why the partnership didn’t work out according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes:
Byron on failed KB/DH pairing: "Kobe is a real serious guy, wants to win championships. I don’t know if Dwight is that serious about it."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) October 27, 2014
It’s hard to judge whether or not someone is serious about winning a championship. Dwight is likely trying to do everything in his power to help the Rockets to a championship, but his mindset is definitely much different from Kobe’s.
All Bryant wants to do is win. He puts everything towards winning every season, and has a hard time getting along with players who don’t put in the same work he does. Howard, with his joking personality and goofy ways, was never going to mesh well with Bryant’s seriousness.
None of it matters anymore since Howard has made his decision and the Lakers have moved on in trying to get the next star for life after Kobe. Whether Kobe or Howard gets a championship in the coming years remains to be seen.
[divide]Lakers Practice: Kobe Bryant Before Opening Night