Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard claims Kobe Bryant usurps MJ in GOAT debate

Dwight Howard recently gave former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant the ultimate amount of respect.

Yet another page has been added to the infamous GOAT debate. Washington Wizards center Dwight Howard recently contended that Kobe Bryant should be ahead of Michael Jordan in GOAT conversations.

It may seem incredibly difficult to believe given that the Howard-Bryant relationship was never the best during the former’s one year in LA.

Be that as it may, Howard recently made this remark about his former teammate on the No Chill podcast hosted by Gilbert Arenas. It is quite a bold one on Howard’s part, but it does not look like he is fooling around.

According to what NBC Sports reporter Keely Diven transcribed from the podcast, the big man indeed believes Kobe was “better” than Michael.

"“I think he’s better than Jordan and I only say that because I feel like everything Jordan did, he did it better.”"

This is a hot take because Howard’s time in Los Angeles was limited. Him and Bryant were never on the greatest terms, either. It sheds some light on why he was one and done while in the City of Angels.

Part of why the relationship might have gone sour was simply due to Kobe’s lofty expectations. He expected a lot from his teammates, and Howard’s more casual approach to things did not correlate.

Although the two may not be best friends, Howard’s comments on Bryant signify a certain level of respect. Howard clearly saw enough during his one-year stint with the Lakers to make this claim.

Per Dan Duangdao of Lakers Nation, it is important to be mindful of the “generational” gap. Howard never played with or against MJ, while the opposite is true, of course, with respect to the Black Mamba.

Thus, it is easier, if anything, for the 6-foot-11 center to have an opinion of Kobe. He literally witnessed what Kobe was like. Moreover, it is important to consider that Kobe was playing at an MVP level still while Howard was a Laker.

Conversely, if there is any part of Michael’s career that Howard remembers vividly, it is likely the tail end of it. Granted MJ was still a good player while with the Wizards, his years in Chicago were vastly superior.

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What is absolutely undeniable is that Bryant is the closest thing to His Airness in NBA history. Kobe’s moves, mannerisms, physique, etc. are a mere few reasons as to why the two are often compared.

Additionally, the two legends were otherworldly in clutch time. They had this incomprehensible gene where they just became assassins in the fourth quarter. In that aspect, the two were equals.

Despite that, it is unarguable that MJ is the more accomplished player. He has one more ring than his counterpart, granted that is just one piece to the puzzle in this insane debate.

Both were great defensive players. However, while Kobe was a Bulldog on the court, MJ was the equivalent of a Doberman. The six-time champ knew how to be on lockdown mode from start to finish.

Kobe played longer than his idol, though, and his footwork was arguably better than Jordan’s. Albeit MJ was known for his freakish athleticism, Bryant sometimes looked like he was playing chess with his opponent. How KB24 managed to pull off the moves he did was just unbelievable.

While many to this day will place Michael Jordan ahead of Kobe Bryant, there is one thing that cannot never be taken away from the latter. As was mentioned before, Kobe is the absolute closest thing to No. 23. It is why the two are often spoken of simultaneously.

Needless to say, the GOAT debate will seemingly be a never-ending dialogue. Some modern sports fans believe a current guy on the Lakers deserves to be in the conversation as well. However, that is another argument in itself.