Two former Los Angeles Lakers big men briefly discussed the greatness of current Los Angeles All-Star forward LeBron James.
On a recent episode of eight-time All-Star and former Lakers big man Dwight Howard’s podcast, “Above The Rim With DH 12,” the question of which player was truly the league’s greatest player of all time (aka the “GOAT”) was addressed.
Four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, who signed with Los Angeles before the team’s 2019-20 championship run but didn’t play a game because of a season-ending injury, praised James for “doing some unheard-of things” at age 39 and in his 21st season. “The son of a bitch with a 25-goal average,” he said. [points per game] “At 40,” Cousins noted.
Dwight Howard, an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive Teamer and three-time Defensive Player of the Year who played for the Lakers in three different seasons, was also on that team in a reserve role and won his first and only NBA title that fall.
“You think it’s the steroids?” Howard interjected, wondering what could be causing James’ continued, time-defying excellence. In 2023-24, on a 47-35 Lakers club, James appeared in 71 games, averaging 25.7 points on .540/.410/.750 shooting, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per night in 35.3 minutes per game. He was named to the 2024 All-NBA Third Team, in addition to his 20th All-Star team.
Cousins, however, didn’t take the bait, saying he “wasn’t going to get into that.”
Reserve guard Quinn Cook, himself a former 2020 Laker, also appeared in the pod. Cook, Howard and Cousins are now all teammates again, on the Taiwan Mustangs..
While still playing at the All-Star level, Howard first joined the Lakers for an ill-fated 2012-13 season, alongside three other Hall of Famers, guard Kobe Bryant, power forward/center Pau Gasol and point guard Steve Nash. That LA club finished with a mediocre 45-37 record and was promptly eliminated from the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs, who were on their way to the 2013 NBA Finals — where they lost to Finals MVP LeBron James while he was still with the Miami Heat. Howard returned for his second stint with the Lakers in 2019-20, and finally for the last time on another ill-fated Lakers club, the 2021-22 team that finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs, just two years after winning a title.
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