Neither player has ever shared the court with a superstar of the other's caliber. Howard was unquestionably the man in Orlando, while Kobe was and remains the man in Los Angeles.
So far, Howard has been a good sport about everything. Kobe has occasionally been critical of Howard, but Howard has responded with good will and silence.
For instance, Kobe criticized Howard for not being aggressive enough on the court, which Howard responded to with grace. Howard noted that Kobe appreciated the talent he brought to the table, but Howard also acknowledged that he could be more aggressive at times.
Clearly, Howard is trying to co-exist with Kobe, but will Kobe do the same?
So far, Kobe has been candid about calling the Lakers his team, but he's also tempered those comments with praise for Howard. According to the Washington Post, Kobe put the damper on talk of a controversy over who was the leader of the team, but he also admitted to looking forward to pass this team off to Howard in the future.
This relationship of mentor-student makes the Lakers unique from the Heat and other collections of superstars. Where the Heat or the Celtics consider one another on largely equal footing, the Lakers still have their one superstar.
In a way, that makes the Lakers that much more dangerous.
There will be no concerns about making sure everyone gets enough touches. Howard will get as many touches as he can offensive boards, plus a few alley-oops and post-ups. Pau Gasol will get his opportunities from the post as usual, and Steve Nash will have plenty of open threes to take.
Ultimately, though, most of the Lakers' plays will be designed for Bryant, the c...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
