Dwight Howard has officially entered some kind of seclusion in order to make his highly anticipated decision as early as Friday. While the world waits, details have emerged about several of the meeting he had with teams. Reports have said he requested roster input in Houston and Steve Nash was present during the Lakers' sales pitch. Now, Yahoo! Sports reports Kobe Bryant spoke with Howard and promised him a few things.
Bryant did not pull out any championship rings (Pat Riley) to sway Howard. He did not kiss the free agent's feet and tell him how great he is and what he can bring to the team. Instead, Bryant was honest, only promising to teach Howard how he can be great and be a champion.
"You need to learn how it's done first, and I can teach you here. You have to learn how it's done. I know how to do it and I've learned from the best-players who have won multiple times over and over. Instead of trying to do things you way, just listen and learn and tweak it, so it fits you," Bryant said to Howard during their meeting.
If Howard needs proof that things can truly work with the Los Angeles Lakers, the final weeks of the 2013-13 season are an example in themselves. The Lakers finished 28-12 in the second half of the season, squeaking into the postseason where they were eventually swept without Bryant.
No other player currently on the Lakers has the resume that Bryant carries and if Howard wants to play with the best, the Lakers are his best option. One of the center's concerns was the future of Los Angeles for the next few years. Bryant put minds to ease promising to play at three more years for the team.
Howard wants to play for a team that will offer a type of Big 3 like Miami has. In his meetings with Houston, he requested a second max-contract player to play alongside he and James Harden. Howard had more than a Big 3 in Los Angeles and he could not make it work for over half the season. There are no guarantees that it works with Houston.
With Howard in Los Angeles and a healthy Bryant back, the Lakers immediately become contenders once again. Any other team he joins will require chemistry to be built and extensive practice time. If Howard wants to be great, there is no better player to learn from than Bryant.