At this point, the Black Mamba can only hope that he and Dwight Howard will be partying like it's 1999, and that the personality issues that plagued his relationship with Shaquille O'Neal in the 2000s won't...errr...you know.
Party over, oops, out of time?
Except, this time, the tables are turned. This time, there will be no tug-of-war over whose team it is, assuming Kobe's words at media day—"No, it's my team."—ring true throughout the season.
They certainly should. Pau Gasol established himself as Kobe's trusty sidekick, the Pippen to his Jordan, long ago. Steve Nash is a leader of men, but, at the age of 38 and without a championship ring on his finger, he'll more than likely cede any semblance of the control he once enjoyed with the Phoenix Suns as a price to be paid for ultimate success.
As for Dwight, who was once reluctant to accept directives from Bryant over the phone, the big fella is already saying all the right things. As he told the attendant crowd in El Segundo this week of his relationship with Kobe:
"I know he's going to be tough on me, but I expect that, and I want him to be that. I want to be that guy. I'll take all the heat he's going to give me, because I know at the end of the day, it's going to make me a better player and a better person. ... I'm willing to go through that process, learn from one of the greatest ever to play the game, and I think it'll be great."
Dwight stands to gain plenty from his partnership with Kobe, who, along with Tim Duncan, is arguably the most successful superstar of the post-Michael Jordan era so far. The 26-year-old center is due for a crash course in how to win at the highest level, how to re...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers