Dwight Howard: D12's Silliness Won't Stop Lakers from Winning an NBA Title

Dwight Howard couldn’t be in a better situation.

One of the handful of question marks skeptics are pointing out—along with his back injury, free-throw shooting and how he’ll play alongside three other stars—is how Howard’s personality will clash with Kobe Bryant’s.

The Black Mamba is one of, if not the most intense players in the NBA. D12 is a wannabe standup comedian. Naturally, those two polar opposite mindsets could clash and create drama in Laker Land.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports addressed the issue following his announcement of the blockbuster trade. He wrote:

"

When the time comes rest assured Bryant will make something clear: The carnival act ends now. The clowning and goofing are done. During games, players used to hear Kevin Garnett screaming at Howard: “Paint your face, clown!” up and down the floor.

"

And when that time comes, it won’t be an issue.

Remember, Howard isn’t the only clown on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster now. Does the name Metta World Peace ring a bell?

The man formerly known as Ron Artest is a complete nut job off the court (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). Every time he’s in front of a camera (and likely away from, as well), he acts crazy. From post-game interviews to press conferences, World Peace is the least-serious player in the league.

But he knows when to flip the switch.

Despite his supposed decline, World Peace remains a top-notch on-ball defender. According to 82games.com, he held opposing small forwards to a player efficiency rating of 11.8 in 2012 (the NBA average is 15.0). On the court, World Peace’s silliness transforms into intensity—just ask James Harden.

World Peace isn’t the only Laker with that type of personality either. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you L.A.’s new starting point guard.

Steve Nash is one of the funniest players in the league, but the common fan may not even be aware of Nash’s off-the-court antics because he’s such a serious competitor. For crying out loud, one of the things that attracted Nash to L.A. is a post-retirement Hollywood career.

No one walks the line of knowing when and when not to be silly better than Nash.

With Nash, and yes, World Peace, as examples of how a star can have fun and focus on winning at the same time, Bryant will never feel the need to yell, “Paint your face, clown!” at Superman.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels