In 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers made a series of moves to capitalize on the end of Kobe Bryant’s prime, although it ended up closing the door on one of the best players to ever suit up.
In the summer of 2012, the Los Angeles Lakers went all-in on surrounding Kobe Bryant with championship-caliber talent. On July 11, 2012, they traded two first-round picks for Steve Nash. On August 10, they traded young All-Star Andrew Bynum in a multi-team deal for Dwight Howard.
With Nash, Howard, Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were immediately considered title threats. However, Kobe would never play in the playoffs ever again.
After being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in the deal for Howard, Bynum played in only 26 games for the rest of his career, so shedding him actually may have worked out for the Lakers. However, much like he was unable to get along with Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant thought Howard was “soft,” going as far as to tell him that to his face in the following seasons after Howard signed with the Houston Rockets.
Bryant added a “try me!” for good measure.
On paper, Nash was the best facilitator in the league, Kobe was an elite scorer, Gasol could do a bit of everything, and Howard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, would anchor the defense. In his first season with the Lakers, Howard averaged 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds, although 45 wins were certainly a disappointment after the preseason hype. Bryant ended the season by tearing his Achilles, missing the playoffs.
The following summer, Howard would sign with the Rockets, eventually returning to the Lakers and winning a ring alongside LeBron James, although Bryant, after missing their first-round matchup with injury in 2013, never made the playoffs again.
It’s no secret that Bryant was not the easiest teammate to play with, although players like Gasol and even Nash were able to put any differences aside and get along on and off the court.
Bryant, who felt Howard didn’t work hard enough (again, parallels to Shaq), likely blamed the center for some of his struggles with the Lakers later in his career.
When asked directly if Howard had a “tough enough mentality,” Bryant did not shy away from being open.
“I think everybody’s cut differently,” Bryant said in 2013 after Howard signed with the Rockets. “He has his way of leading that he feels like would be most effective and would work for him. Obviously, the way we’ve gone about it with this organization and the leaders that we’ve had, myself, Magic, and, you know, Kareem, we’ve done it a different way.”
While injuries and age played a massive factor in Bryant never again playing in the postseason, Los Angeles prioritizing pure talent over fit and positional need did not do the Lakers any favors, making for a lackluster end to one of the greatest careers ever.
