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"Those guys on the Clippers team, they really enjoy each other off the court and it shows," Howard said Saturday after Lakers practice.

And how about the Lakers? Do they have that chemistry?

"It's something we have to do to get better," he said. "We have to play like we like each other. Even if we don't want to be friends off the court, whatever that may be, when we step in between the lines or we step in the locker room or the gym, we have to respect each other and what we bring to the table.

Looking back on those years, Bryant said he's amazed the peace held as long as it did.

"That just wasn't going to last," he said, laughing. "You have too many alpha males. What do you think would happen if you put Jordan with Wilt? It's just not going to happen."

So can two alpha males ever coexist long enough to win titles?

"We did. We won three straight," Bryant said, referencing the Lakers' three-peat from 2000-02. "One of them has to sacrifice. I sacrificed quite a bit with individual numbers and MVPs and NBA Finals and all this other stuff.

"Phil (Jackson) used to come to us as a team and let me take over in the march to the Finals. Then in the Finals against Eastern Conference teams that had true centers, we went through Shaq. Those are things I was willing to sacrifice. You have to have that sacrifice to make that dynamic work."

Asked again how that compares to the dynamic with Howard, Bryant said: "It's not the same thing. On that team, it was me and Shaq and role players, who were excellent role players. Here, it's me, Dwight, Steve and Pau (Gasol). We play to each other's strengths. Steve is the best facilitating guard. Pau is the best facilitating big man. The ball goes through those guys, and it allows them to make everybody better. It's really that simple."

When told of Bryant's quotes, characterizing himself as sacrificing during the O'Neal era, Howard asked for clarification.

"He took a back seat?" Howard asked. "I was super young, so I really don't remember too much from those championship runs."

Howard was then asked if he thought he had the same kind of alpha male personality as O'Neal.

"You can't look at it as the alpha male. It's basketball. We're not a pack of wolves," Howard said.

"There's different ways to lead a team. Sometimes you have to follow to learn how to lead. I've done an excellent job with guys of being somebody they can all come to if they have a problem.

"But if they're not working the way they need to work, I'm the guy that will tell 'em, 'Hey, you need to get in the weight room or get some extra shots up.' That's where I come in. I don't have to bark about it to you guys (reporters) or to the team."

Howard then explained what his definition of an "alpha male" is.

"If you're an alpha male, you don't have to always show that you're the alpha male," he said. "Just be who you are. You come in the room, people know you're there.

"My presence is felt every day, and I don't have to come here and growl and snarl at people. I don't have to do all that."

Instead, he said he tries to create a happy, enjoyable work environment.

"(My teammates) like when I come in, have fun and enjoy myself. Because they want to have fun and enjoy themselves, too," Howard said. "If they can't do it, it's not a great working environment.

"I don't think you guys would want to come into work with a boss that's always telling you what to do. If you see the boss being at ease and having fun doing it, then you're going to have fun doing that. That's who I am. I've been an alpha male my whole life, but I don't go pissing everywhere to show people that I'm an alpha male. I just need to be who I am."

tugs wrote:Who is he referring to? Himself? Yeah when Hill went down he just stared at him and did nothing. disgusting. Even he has been out hustled by Hill most of the time and made better decisions.

Be careful what you say new guy. you ain't the alpha male yet and you haven't shown anything to make Kobe pass you the torch so shut it and play.

Kilroy wrote:It doesn't matter to me if Kobe and Howard aren't buddies or whatever, as long as they're all playing hard after the jump.
I see Kobe playing hard... At least on offense... Is he not playing solid perimeter D to send a message to Dwight? Maybe, but I doubt it... His perimeter D has been falling off for a few years now...

Howard seems to be playing about 80% out there. He's not himself, but he's not Kwame Brown either... Is that all recovery from the injury, or is he just not that interested?

To me that's the real question... If you aren't happy with the other guy, fine, but give 100% and let the coach figure it out... But if you pout about it during games, you need to go.

Basically, I really don't care what goes on in the locker room or in practice... In fact, keep that **** to yourself. But I do care about the Lakers winning games... And I want to hear how you millionaires are going to win some **** games. Not some episode of Basketball Wives.

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:Well.. this is one thing we could do without. I just hope they don't piss this mega costly season into the drain with who's the alpha male crap.

Gek wrote:

SlavaMedvedenko wrote:Well.. this is one thing we could do without. I just hope they don't piss this mega costly season into the drain with who's the alpha male crap.

They need to spend a night together in Vegas. Get drunk, take some rufies... Form a real wolfpack.