Phil Handy reveals how Kobe Bryant & Dwight Howard's 'A-personality' clash hurt the Lakers
Former LA Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy discussed the strained dynamic between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, saying a "personality" clash between the two hurt the Lakers in a major way.
In the latest episode of "Podcast P with Paul George" released on Monday, Handy spoke about the time Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined Kobe's Lakers in 2012. The trades were expected to elevate the LA team, but the outcome was far from what was anticipated.
Handy, who was a development coach at the time, expressed his belief that the trades would lead the team to the NBA Finals:
"Man, we had those trades during the off-season. I was like, 'Man, we going to the Finals. I was like, 'We got Steve Nash, we got Dwight Howard coming,'" Handy said.
The 53-year-old went on to explain that Howard, who had been thriving in Orlando, struggled to adjust as a Laker. One reason for this, he said, was the clash in "personalities" with the legendary Kobe Bryant:
"Their relationship wasn't rocky, but they were two different players. If you are the A-personality and you come to another team and sometimes there is another A-personality, and that A-personality might be a little bit more vocal or have a little bit more of a cutthroat attitude and mentality and that can be tough," he said.
Handy said the two strong-willed personalities clashed, ultimately contributing to the team's struggles and Howard's departure to the Rockets after just one season.
Paul Handy on how Kobe Bryant defied him during practice
During his first tenure with the Lakers, Paul Handy served as a developmental coach under Mike Brown from 2011 to 2013. During that time, he had the opportunity to work with one of the all-time greats, Kobe Bryant.
On the episode of "Podcast P," the Mist BC coach recalled a story about how Kobe defied him during practice. Handy revealed that he once asked Bryant to dribble with two balls during a training session, but Kobe refused:
"One day, we were doing some ball handling, and I wanted him to do two-ball handling, and he was like, 'Man, get out of here. I'm not doing that, He was like, 'I don't dribble with two balls in the game." (from 31:11)
Handy went on to share that, despite Kobe's refusal, he persisted and eventually got Bryant to do the drill. What followed was a Mamba classic:
"He took both the basketballs, closed his eyes, and started dribbling with his eyes closed," Handy said.
Following his stint as a development coach with the Lakers, he moved on to become an assistant coach in Cleveland and Toronto. He came back to the Lakers as an assistant under Frank Vogel in 2019 and helped the Lakers win the championship in 2020.