LeBron James finally tasted championship glory in 2012 with the Miami Heat, then went back-to-back in 2013. He brought a title home to Cleveland in 2016 and added a fourth with the Lakers in 2020. But it could’ve started way earlier—back in 2009. That year, LeBron was in full beast mode, MVP in hand, leading the Cavs with one goal: his first ring. The stage was nearly set for a legendary final. But one Orlando Magic star had other plans—and completely derailed the King’s coronation.

The stage was perfectly set for the ultimate showdown—Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James in the NBA Finals. The Lakers crushed the West with a 65-17 record, the Cavs ruled the East at 66-16, and fans were counting down the days to what felt like destiny. Nike was already cashing in, rolling out those iconic Kobe-LeBron puppet ads, hyping the battle before it even happened. But then—boom—Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic crashed the party. Just like that, the epic Kobe-LeBron Finals we were all praying for? Gone.

Oh, Dwight Howard hasn’t forgotten 2009—and by the looks of it, he’s still having a blast trolling LeBron over it. So here’s what went down: Sports Illustrated recently dropped a hilarious Instagram collab with Dwight, Iman Shumpert, and DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins playing a fast-paced buzzer game. The host barely got the words out—“LeBron James win an NBA championship with…”—and boom, Dwight slammed that buzzer like it owed him money and shouted: “No.”

Now here’s the kicker—the answer was obviously yes. The question was about LeBron’s 2016 title with the Cavs. Cue the faces of Shump and Boogie—pure shock and betrayal, like Dwight just said water isn’t wet. Meanwhile, Dwight? Cackling like a man who absolutely remembers 2009. And to top it off, he later goes, “I know he didn’t win one in ‘09, my bad.” Come on now.

That’s not a mistake—that’s a classic Dwight move. Still rubbing salt in that old wound… and clearly, he’s loving every second of it. Later, under the post, after seeing Shumpert’s and Boogie’s reaction, Howard commented and tried to save himself, “Nah @boogiecousins @imanshumpert yall really thought I was serious 😂😂😂😂😂😂.” So, Howard definitely was pulling the classic card to pull LBJ’s leg.

The 3x DPOY, Dwight Howard, still remembers how disrespected he and the Magic felt in 2009—and he’s not letting it go. Despite beating the Cavs twice in the regular season, all anyone talked about was LeBron vs. Kobe Bryant. “Y’all just going to put us to the side like we just didn’t beat the Cavs?” he said on Paul George’s podcast. Fueled by the hype and those Nike puppet commercials, Dwight made it personal. He said, “We’re trying to end the Cavs, like embarrass them.” And he did just that—averaging 25.8 points and 13 boards to knock them out in six games.

He even made his own doll to troll the campaign. “They had the little dolls, too… so I was like, ‘H—, I’m gonna go ahead and make my own doll,’” he laughed. But when the game started? It was war. The 39-year-old said, “I literally broke the scoreboard… we really didn’t like the fact that they played with us.” While the Magic lost in the Finals, that Cavs upset was Dwight in full beast mode—jokes off, dominance on.

Dwight Howard chooses LeBron James over Kobe Bryant

Dwight Howard has played with both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James—an experience very few in NBA history can claim. So when the soon-to-be Hall of Famer was asked to pick between the two, people listened. On The Club 520 Podcast, Howard made it clear: “Everything combined, you got to give it to LeBron James. Scoring-wise, I got to say I like Kobe Bryant. If it’s late in the game, I’m giving the ball to Kobe. I’m not going to give the ball to LeBron late in the game. I’m going to give it to Kobe.” It was an honest take from someone who saw both legends up close.

But don’t mistake that for disrespect. Howard doubled down on his appreciation for LeBron’s longevity and basketball IQ. On The Lou Young Show, he broke it down: “It looks like [LeBron James] is working hard, but he’s just only working smart. He’s doing it in spurts.” Howard explained how James approaches each quarter methodically—picking his spots, conserving energy, and making his impact count. That strategic mindset, Howard believes, is the real secret behind LeBron still dominating at 40.

Howard’s admiration was loud and clear during the 2025 playoffs when the Lakers found themselves down 3-1 to Minnesota. After LeBron dropped 27-12-8 in Game 4, Howard backed him online: “If LeBron comes back from 3-1 at 40, I don’t wanna even hear about a GOAT debate.” With James still putting up 26.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 9.5 rebounds in the postseason, Howard’s words echoed a growing sentiment—LeBron isn’t just still playing; he’s rewriting what greatness looks like in year 22.

Dwight Howard’s fun take that LeBron didn’t win with the Cavaliers adds an unexpected twist to the GOAT conversation. It highlights Howard’s bold perspective, shaped by his own NBA journey.