"I've been playing against him since I was 15" - Dwight Howard reflects on LeBron James' unreal longevity in NBA

In an interview with Math Hoffa on "My Expert Opinion," Dwight Howard recalled the time LeBron James surpassed the late Kobe Bryant's scoring tally.

James achieved the feat during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in January 2020.

"I'm gonna wait till he finished doing this interview," Howard said, "and I just want to tell him that I'm real proud of him and I've been playing against LeBron since I was 15."

He further mentioned that Kobe Bryant passed away the night afterward. Due to James' achievement, Howard felt the need to congratulate him. This feeling arose from a bond that was formed after years of battles fought against one another and even when the two were on the same team.

Entering his 21st season in the NBA, LeBron James has been the standard of consistency and basketball excellence, season after season. At 38, he averages 27.2 points per game (50.5% shooting, including 34.5% from the 3-point range), 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.

Last season, James pulled off another historic feat by eclipsing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record on Feb. 7, 2023.

It is understandable why a player like Dwight Howard is proud of LeBron James: he has performed each time he has stepped on the court, showing few signs of slowing down.

Dwight Howard questions the Lakers' decision to change the roster after winning the championship with LeBron James

In the same interview, Dwight Howard said he was frustrated with the Lakers' decision to change their roster after winning the 2020 championship.

"Why didn't the Lakers just bring us back?" Howard asked. "We just won a [2020] championship, why would they go away from it? What did they say? 'We wanna get better at the center position.' They went and got Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell. That was their way of saying, 'We got younger and better at the position.'"

While it is uncertain if the Lakers would have repeated the following season, following the injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James, the trades carried out at the time were praised by the media.

What didn't help the Lakers was that the offseason was shortened due to the league making up for all the missed time brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.