BRYANT, GASOL, HOWARD, NASH AND WORLD PEACE, L.A. LAKERS FORMIDABLE FIVE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 03 Oct 2012
Dwight Howard and Steve Nash joined the Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the first day of practice. Canadian Nash was signed from the Phoenix Suns while Howard was acquired from the Orlando Magic via a four-tem deal. Both All-Stars have yet to win an NBA championship ring.
Nash started with the Suns and played also for the Dallas Mavericks teaming-up with Dirk Nowitzki. He returned to the Suns and was not able to join the Dallas champion team. While at the Suns, he became a two-time Most Valuable Player in 2005-2006. Nash was chosen to the All-NBA first team in 2005-2007 and was an 8-time NBA All Star. He was also a 5-time NBA assist leader.
Howard became a 5-time All-NBA first team, 6-time NBA All-Star, and 3-time Defensive Player of the Year, 4-time rebounding champion, 2-time blocks leader, and 2008 NBA Slam Dunk champion. He was the starting center of the gold-winning USA team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
It is obvious that both Nash and Howard want to grab an NBA championship that is why they decided to join the Lakers this season. And with Bryant and Gasol, the line up looks more formidable than ever. Bryant won five and Gasol had two titles in the Lakers.
Bryant was the 2008 league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 14-time NBA All-Star with 4 All-Star MVP awards, 10-time All-NBA first team, 2-time scoring champion and 1997 Slam Dunk champion. He was a member of the gold-winning USA team in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.
Gasol is the 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year, 4-time NBA All-Star, FIBA World Championship MVP, EuroBasket MVP, and a mainstay of the Spanish team which garnered the silver medal in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and gold in the 2006 FIBA world championship.
Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) was a member of the Lakers? 2010 NBA champions. He was the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year.
?All the pieces fit,? Bryant said. ?We all do different things. We all fit together naturally. We just have to keep doing the things we have been doing our entire careers.?
With Howard filling up the center, Gasol can concentrate playing at the power-forward position. Nash?s exceptional play-making skills can set up Bryant, and World Peace. They comprise the Lakers fearsome five.
But all eyes were on Bryant and Howard. Kobe was all praises on Superman?s defensive and rebounding skills. He is grooming the All-Star center as his heir apparent at the Lakers? leadership.
"This is my team, but I want to make sure that Dwight, when I retire, this is going to be his," Bryant said. "I want to teach him everything I possibly know, so that when I step away, this organization can ride on as if I never left."
Many fans see it as a move of surpassing Michael Jordan?s six titles with the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers have won 16 NBA titles in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010. The last five titles were with Bryant.
?Let?s start with winning the first game,? Bryant said.
(Photo of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace from twitter.com/Lakers)
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