Kobe Bryant delivered his fourth championship for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009, after several years of disappointment in the playoffs. While fans loved that the ‘Black Mamba’ made his mark in the league once again, there was a slight dissatisfaction that the 2009 Finals were not as competitive as expected. Former teammate of Bryant, Lamar Odom shared how the Lakers were robbed of a potential historic matchup with LeBron James, because of a 6’10 Orlando Magic superstar. 

The Lakers demolished Orlando Magic 4-1 to lift the 2009 championship, led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the front. Magic had one of the most historic runs that year, as they made it to the Finals for the second time, since the 1996 season led by Shaquille O’Neal. Despite all of this, Bryant would have desired to match up with LeBron James. But the Cleveland Cavaliers were a problem back then. A young LBJ was the center of attraction in the Eastern Conference in the late 2000s, defying the odds repeatedly with continuous playoff appearances.

The LADE Show’s host shared, “2009 was one of the biggest robberies for the NBA fandom”, as James and Kobe Bryant couldn’t meet each other in the Finals. Well, Lamar Odom replied, “Dwight [Howard] showed up”. The 6’10 center was a menace during his time with the Magic. While fans rooted for James vs Bryant, Howard chimed in with monstrous numbers during the Conference Finals against the Cavs. In retrospect, Howard came in at the right time and ruined a potential HOF match-up!

James and Bryant have faced each other 22 times in the NBA. The 39-year-old NBA scoring leader has a 16-6 winning record against Bryant. However, what’s sad is that the two of them have never matched up in a playoff game. This is because James never played in the Western Conference until Bryant retired. The only way was to meet in the Finale, which could have happened in 2009, but Howard had other plans.

Did Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic deserve the Finals slot against Kobe Bryant and Co. more than the Cavs?

In the series against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, Howard averaged nearly 26 points and 13 rebounds. Crucially in game 6, he dropped a 40-point game to face Kobe Bryant in the Finals. Although his overall stats were excellent in the 2009 playoffs, Howard was not able to bring the efficiency he had before against the Lakers. The 3x DPOY’s 21-point game was the best in the five-game series. Although he was still a monster on the board, Gasol was demolishing him on the offense. 

“Only Top Players Could Do What He Did at That Moment”: Pau Gasol Explains How Kobe Bryant Made Big-Time Plays During NBA Finals

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Howard even secured 9 blocks in Game 4, but Bryant recorded 32 points to snatch the win. LeBron James, on the other hand, did not have a great supporting cast with the Cavaliers. Repeated playoff failures pushed him to make ‘The Decision’ in 2010. However, even then, LBJ was stuck in the Eastern Conference.

Howard defeated the Cavs, so it’s obvious that his final spot was earned. What would you have fancied?

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