When Dwight Howard signed with the Houston Rockets in 2013 NBA free agency, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were suddenly forced into a rebuild.
As Bryant was recovering from a torn Achilles and suffered another season-ending injury (knee) six games into his return, the Lakers slowly started building their young core by selecting Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Due to all of the individual/team success, it was unfamiliar territory for Bryant at this stage of his career and the losing took a toll during the 2014-15 NBA season.