At the beginning of the 2012-2013 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers thought they had built a powerhouse. After all, they had landed both former MVP point guard Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, who was widely seen as the best center in the league.
Adding those two to stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol should have, at least on paper, given the Lakers a great shot to win a championship. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan.
Nash was lost to injury, Howard rushed his return from offseason back surgery, Gasol suffered injuries of his own, and Bryant’s Herculean efforts to keep the team afloat took their toll when he tore his Achilles at the end of the season.