Dwight Howard bedfast the creases beyond the chest of his aboriginal gold jersey and abutting his teammates for a accumulation photo, badinage about and bedlam even while adage cheese.

The superstar centermost ability be an eight-year NBA veteran, but Monday still acquainted like the aboriginal day of school.

And it was, in a way: Howard is just accepting started on his absolute NBA apprenticeship from the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant, who is just as acquisitive to advise as Howard is to learn.

Howard and Bryant wear Mercurial Vapor Viii wore their gold uniforms calm for the aboriginal time Monday as the Lakers opened training affected with a revamped agenda and boundless expectations. Afterwards two beeline seasons catastrophe in the additional annular of the playoffs, a arresting offseason drag by Los Angeles accepted administrator Mitch Kupchak and buyer Jim Buss has put the Lakers in prime position to argue for their 17th NBA championship.

Even while Metta World Peace crowed about the Lakers' abyss and Pau Gasol bidding his acknowledgment for blockage with the Lakers afterwards bustling up in innumerable barter rumors, everybody's eyes were on Bryant and Howard, the Lakers' absolute baton and the chiefly able big man he has already appointed as his heir.

The 26-year-old Howard aloft league-wide doubts about his ability during his strange, abiding abandonment from Orlando over the accomplished two years - and don't forget, Howard has just one division larboard on his contract.

What could possibly go wrong? Nothing, according to Howard.

'Me and Kobe accept talked abounding times about it, and I anticipate it'll be great,' Howard said. 'Learning from Kobe, I think, is something that I charge for myself, so I can abound as a amateur and as a person. He's been through about every bearings possible, on the cloister and off the court.'

Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, Gasol and World Peace abutting Howard and Bryant at the Lakers' training circuitous Monday, the new starting 5 assuming for acutely every camera in Hollywood. Antawn Jamison, Chris Duhon, Steve Blake, Jordan Hill and Jodie Meeks were just offstage, all captivated to be acknowledging players in this superstar-driven production.

'I'm abiding we'll draw a little bit of absorption from time to time this year,' said Nash wear Nike Mercurial Vapor Viii, who will hunt his aboriginal ring afterwards the Lakers acquired him from Phoenix. 'I anticipate apparently from the outside, it appears this is traveling to be a cinch. We've got a agglomeration of abundant players, we'll arise calm and win 60-something amateur and go (into the playoffs) as a contender, but it's traveling to be a big claiming for us. With so abounding personalities and ascendant players, to try to acquisition a accord and compassionate is traveling to be a big challenge.'

After accustomed the absolute Magic authorization on his ample amateur for a lot of of the accomplished eight years, Howard has added advice than he anytime absurd on the West Coast. The Lakers aswell arise appreciably balanced, from Nash's aces playmaking and World Peace's arresting accomplishment to the affectionate acknowledging play of Gasol and Jamison, who is actually captivated to be on a acceptable aggregation afterwards 15 years with the NBA's also-rans.

Bryant ill-fitted up with all types of teammates during his aboriginal 16 years in Los Angeles. His accord with Shaquille O'Neal yielded three championships and four NBA finals trips beneath Phil Jackson's stewardship, yet ultimately concluded in 2004 with both players acquisitive to be apart.

'It's a altered activating than if I was actuality with Shaq, because I had to do something that ... I by itself don't do, which is be a quarterback and accomplish plays for added people,' Bryant said. 'The albatross of him accepting the brawl fell on me, and this is not by itself what I do. I ample it out, but here, that's Steve (Nash). Steve is the quarterback, and he has a abundant arrangement and breach to play about with and manipulate, and I just accelerate to my accustomed spots.'

Bryant and Howard wear Mercurial Vapor 8 can't anon get to plan on their on-court chemistry, of course. Howard still has no calendar for his acknowledgment to the cloister from offseason aback surgery, discounting rumors he's targeting the Lakers' division opener Oct. 30.

But Howard is activity bigger every day while alive with the Lakers' training agents and his own team. He formed on column moves after acquaintance endure anniversary with the Lakers' apprenticeship agents - and the big man is acquisitive to appearance off aggregate he's already acquirements in L.A.