Despite all of his achievements, Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant never managed to challenge Michael Jordan for the “greatest of all time” title in basketball in the eyes of the fans.

Still, there is a significant number of people who think Bryant was a better basketball player than Jordan. As it turns out, Washington Wizards’ center Dwight Howard is one of them.

Howard recently appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ “The No Chill Podcast” and decided to weigh in on the GOAT conversation. “I think he [Kobe] is better than Jordan. Everything Jordan did, he did it better.”

Dwight Howard’s pick of Kobe Bryant as a GOAT is definitely surprising stuff especially since the two didn’t get along during Howard’s stay in Los Angeles in 2012 and 2013. Howard complained that Bryant was shooting too much and didn’t give him the ball enough, which eventually led to strain relations between the two. Bryant ended up forcing Howard to reject the Lakers contract offer and sign with Houston Rockets.

While Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were similar when it comes to the style of play, there is no doubt that Jordan had a more accomplished career. Jordan has six NBA titles and five MVP award compared to Bryant’s five championships and one MVP award. Jordan was also NBA scoring champion 10 times while Bryant led the league in scoring just twice. We don’t know about you, but for us, this pretty much clears the confusion.

The post Kobe Bryant “Better” Than Michael Jordan, Says Dwight Howard appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Five times NBA champion, four times NBA Finals MVP and 18 times an All-Star and one time NBA regular season MVP. To all of these and other accomplishments, former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant can now add an Academy Award. Bryant won an Oscar at Sunday’s 90th annual Academy Awards ceremony, for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball”. He and Disney animator Glen Keane, who directed the short, shared the honors for the film based on Bryant’s poem from 2015 in which he announced his retirement from basketball.

“I don’t know if it’s possible,” – said Bryant upon receiving the award. “I mean, as basketball players, we are really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I am glad we do a little bit more than that.“

Bryant proceeded on by thanking his wife Vanessa and his daughters, saying: “You are my inspiration.”

“I feel better than winning a championship, to be honest with you. I swear I do.” – Bryant said to the reporters after the ceremony.

The success of the film and the poem inspired Bryant to start a second career since he also revealed that he is working on a series of novels.

“I wake up in the morning, I can’t wait to write, I can’t wait to get to the studio.” – he added.

Kobe Bryant wrote the “Dear Basketball” poem and sent it to The Players’ Tribune on November 29, 2015, describing his love for the game of basketball.

The post Kobe Bryant Wins an Oscar for His animated short “Dear Basketball” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, one regular season MVP award and 18 All-Star selections are just some of Kobe Bryant’s achievements in the Los Angeles Lakers jersey. On Monday, at the halftime of the game against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers paid him respect by retiring not one, but two of his jerseys. Numbers 8 and 24 are now hanging in the Staples Center alongside the jerseys of Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There were 9 Lakers players who got their jersey retired before him, but only Bryant had the honor of getting two jerseys retired.

“We’re here to celebrate the greatest who’s ever worn purple and gold,” – said Magic Johnson, current president of basketball operations of the Lakers.

“It’s not about the jerseys that are hanging up there for me,” – said Bryant in his speech. “It’s about the jerseys that were hanging up there before. They inspired me to play the game at a high level.“

#8 and #24 get revealed in the Staples Center rafters and Kobe Bryant speaks to Laker Nation! #Ko8e24 pic.twitter.com/71wRaM3Ggh

— NBA (@NBA) December 19, 2017

Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from 8 to 24 in 2006 but had success with both of them. Asked about which one he prefers, Bryant said “Eight has something that 24 will never ever ever ever have. And that’s the ability to grow hair.”

After being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft, the 17-year-old Bryant was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac. He was welcomed in the team by Shaquille O’Neal, but the duo couldn’t get to the NBA Finals until Phil Jackson assumed the head coaching position in 1999. Under Jackson, Bryant has managed to win three straight NBA championships and establish himself as one of the league’s best players. After the three-peat, Bryant continued to grow as a player, but the Lakers were unable to win a championship.

It wasn’t until 2008–09 season when Bryant was able to lead the Lakers to another championship. And, in the following season to one more. After that, Bryant went on chasing his sixth championship but riddled with injuries and other problems, Lakers slowly lost their title of the Western Conference powerhouse.

Kobe Bryant retired from NBA on April 13, 2016, in the game against the Utah Jazz, when he scored 60 points.

The post Los Angeles Lakers Retire Kobe Bryant’s 8 and 24 Jerseys appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite all of his achievements, Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant never managed to challenge Michael Jordan for the “greatest of all time” title in basketball in the eyes of the fans.

Still, there is a significant number of people who think Bryant was a better basketball player than Jordan. As it turns out, Washington Wizards’ center Dwight Howard is one of them.

Howard recently appeared on Gilbert Arenas’ “The No Chill Podcast” and decided to weigh in on the GOAT conversation. “I think he [Kobe] is better than Jordan. Everything Jordan did, he did it better.”

Dwight Howard’s pick of Kobe Bryant as a GOAT is definitely surprising stuff especially since the two didn’t get along during Howard’s stay in Los Angeles in 2012 and 2013. Howard complained that Bryant was shooting too much and didn’t give him the ball enough, which eventually led to strain relations between the two. Bryant ended up forcing Howard to reject the Lakers contract offer and sign with Houston Rockets.

While Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were similar when it comes to the style of play, there is no doubt that Jordan had a more accomplished career. Jordan has six NBA titles and five MVP award compared to Bryant’s five championships and one MVP award. Jordan was also NBA scoring champion 10 times while Bryant led the league in scoring just twice. We don’t know about you, but for us, this pretty much clears the confusion.

The post Kobe Bryant “Better” Than Michael Jordan, Says Dwight Howard appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Five times NBA champion, four times NBA Finals MVP and 18 times an All-Star and one time NBA regular season MVP. To all of these and other accomplishments, former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant can now add an Academy Award. Bryant won an Oscar at Sunday’s 90th annual Academy Awards ceremony, for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball”. He and Disney animator Glen Keane, who directed the short, shared the honors for the film based on Bryant’s poem from 2015 in which he announced his retirement from basketball.

“I don’t know if it’s possible,” – said Bryant upon receiving the award. “I mean, as basketball players, we are really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I am glad we do a little bit more than that.“

Bryant proceeded on by thanking his wife Vanessa and his daughters, saying: “You are my inspiration.”

“I feel better than winning a championship, to be honest with you. I swear I do.” – Bryant said to the reporters after the ceremony.

The success of the film and the poem inspired Bryant to start a second career since he also revealed that he is working on a series of novels.

“I wake up in the morning, I can’t wait to write, I can’t wait to get to the studio.” – he added.

Kobe Bryant wrote the “Dear Basketball” poem and sent it to The Players’ Tribune on November 29, 2015, describing his love for the game of basketball.

The post Kobe Bryant Wins an Oscar for His animated short “Dear Basketball” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, one regular season MVP award and 18 All-Star selections are just some of Kobe Bryant’s achievements in the Los Angeles Lakers jersey. On Monday, at the halftime of the game against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers paid him respect by retiring not one, but two of his jerseys. Numbers 8 and 24 are now hanging in the Staples Center alongside the jerseys of Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There were 9 Lakers players who got their jersey retired before him, but only Bryant had the honor of getting two jerseys retired.

“We’re here to celebrate the greatest who’s ever worn purple and gold,” – said Magic Johnson, current president of basketball operations of the Lakers.

“It’s not about the jerseys that are hanging up there for me,” – said Bryant in his speech. “It’s about the jerseys that were hanging up there before. They inspired me to play the game at a high level.“

#8 and #24 get revealed in the Staples Center rafters and Kobe Bryant speaks to Laker Nation! #Ko8e24 pic.twitter.com/71wRaM3Ggh

— NBA (@NBA) December 19, 2017

Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from 8 to 24 in 2006 but had success with both of them. Asked about which one he prefers, Bryant said “Eight has something that 24 will never ever ever ever have. And that’s the ability to grow hair.”

After being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft, the 17-year-old Bryant was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac. He was welcomed in the team by Shaquille O’Neal, but the duo couldn’t get to the NBA Finals until Phil Jackson assumed the head coaching position in 1999. Under Jackson, Bryant has managed to win three straight NBA championships and establish himself as one of the league’s best players. After the three-peat, Bryant continued to grow as a player, but the Lakers were unable to win a championship.

It wasn’t until 2008–09 season when Bryant was able to lead the Lakers to another championship. And, in the following season to one more. After that, Bryant went on chasing his sixth championship but riddled with injuries and other problems, Lakers slowly lost their title of the Western Conference powerhouse.

Kobe Bryant retired from NBA on April 13, 2016, in the game against the Utah Jazz, when he scored 60 points.

The post Los Angeles Lakers Retire Kobe Bryant’s 8 and 24 Jerseys appeared first on SportzBonanza.