Dwight Howard is confident that his former teammate and basketball icon Kobe Bryant would have fully supported his new venture on Dancing With the Stars. After making his ballroom debut on Tuesday night, the NBA star reflected on what he thinks Kobe would have thought about him joining Season 33 of the hit dance competition.
In an exclusive interview with Page Six, Howard expressed his belief that Bryant would have been proud of him for taking on the challenge. “I think he would love it,” Howard said, reminiscing about their time as competitors and teammates. “We’ve been competitors, we watched each other, we played against each other in the [NBA] Finals, played on the same team, we won Olympics together. Pretty sure he’d be very proud.”
Bryant, who tragically passed away in January 2020 at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and several others, was a key figure in Howard’s career. The two played together during the 2012-2013 season with the Los Angeles Lakers and were also teammates on the 2008 USA Olympic basketball team, where they helped bring home a gold medal.
Although their on-court relationship was often marked by ups and downs, the two NBA stars were on good terms at the time of Bryant’s untimely passing. According to ESPN, the pair were even planning a reunion at the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend, where they had discussed teaming up for the dunk contest.
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For Howard, Bryant’s influence went far beyond the court. He still remembers the valuable advice Kobe shared with him during their time together. “[Kobe said], ‘Always keep the main thing, the main thing,’” Howard told Page Six. As Howard now steps into the world of ballroom dancing, he’s carrying that wisdom with him. “Right now, Dancing With the Stars is the main thing. So with that being said, every day that we’re on the dance floor, we treat it as such. And we’re having fun doing it.”
Though Bryant never competed on Dancing With the Stars himself, he was a fan of the show and even showed his support for other athletes who participated. Back in 2010, Bryant and then-Lakers coach Phil Jackson made a memorable appearance on Season 11 to cheer on former Lakers teammate Rick Fox, who was competing with pro dancer Cheryl Burke. Burke recalled that moment fondly in a recent Page Six interview, saying, “It was crazy, I’ll never forget it… Kobe was really sweet, and I could see the way that Rick really looked up to him.”
Bryant’s appreciation for Dancing With the Stars extended beyond supporting his teammates. In 2015, he skipped a major NBA Playoffs game and the NBA Draft Lottery to attend the Season 20 finale, where he posed for pictures with the cast, including pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy and that season’s champion, Rumer Willis.
Bryant also made a point to support other NBA stars when they competed on the show, including Derek Fisher in Season 25 and Lamar Odom in Season 28. In a playful message aired on Good Morning America in 2017, Bryant joked with Fisher, saying, “On the list of all the teammates that we’ve played with, I gotta say, yours was not at the top of the list as far as guys that would be on Dancing With the Stars. It kinda shocked the hell out of me… But that being said, I wish you nothing but luck. Do your thing, my man! Get another championship.”
Now it’s Howard’s turn to shine on the DWTS stage. Paired with pro dancer Daniella Karagach, the two made their debut performance dancing a salsa to Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” Their energetic routine, complete with lifts and spins, earned them a respectable score of 22/30 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli, placing them near the top of the leaderboard.
Howard was quick to praise his partner after their performance. “Dani is so amazing. She had me so calm before the storm,” he said, moments after finishing their first live dance. “She just kept checking up on me, making sure I was good. She did amazing.” Karagach, who won the mirrorball trophy in Season 30 with another NBA star, Iman Shumpert, was equally enthusiastic. She shared that Shumpert had reached out to her, saying, “Iman said that Dwight is going to be the best partner that I’ve had.” Howard humbly responded, “That’s big. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to hold up that mirrorball.”
However, the duo faces a unique challenge—Howard’s towering 6-foot-11 frame presents difficulties when it comes to executing traditional dance moves. Karagach, who is just 5-foot-3, explained that getting into proper dance frame has been tricky. “If he gets into full frame, for example, I can’t reach him,” she laughed. “We’re just going to have to adjust it in a way where it works for us and customize it.”
Despite these challenges, Howard is fully committed to making his mark on the dance floor, and with his competitive spirit and Bryant’s words of encouragement echoing in his mind, he’s ready to take on the ballroom.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
