Dwight Howard blames James Harden for leaving Kobe and the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers wanted to give Kobe Bryant a chance to win another NBA championship. They brought in Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, hoping to put together a superteam, but that wasn’t the case.

Injuries and poor chemistry derailed the Lakers‘ once-promising season, and Howard failed to live up to the standard and expectations. He ended up leaving on bad terms after just one season.

Now, looking back, the former Defensive Player of the Year acknowledged he made a mistake by leaving to join the Houston Rockets, stating that he thought James Harden was like a young Kobe.

Dwight Howard Thought James Harden Was Like A Young Kobe

“I looked at him [James Harden] like a younger version of Kobe,” Howard said. “I don’t know why I was thinking that. No disrespect to James, but I was thinking that at the time that me, and James could be a new version of Kobe and Shaq— The Lakers’ decision was solely based on I felt like me and James would have been better at the time than me and Kobe.”

“If I would’ve sat down and really thought about my decisions without being in my emotions, I probably would’ve stayed in LA,” Superman added.

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Dwight Howard gets real on the LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant debate

Needless to say, things didn’t work out the way Howard expected. At least he got a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of Lakers fans, helping them win a ring in 20202.