Dwight Howard is revisiting one of the most frustrating chapters of his career — his abrupt departure from the Los Angeles Lakers following their 2020 title run.
The veteran center, who now plays in the Big 3 league, reflected on the situation in a conversation with NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
Howard had returned to Los Angeles in 2019 on a minimum deal and played a key role in the Lakers’ championship run inside the Orlando bubble. His defense and rebounding provided critical depth behind Anthony Davis.
But just months after winning his first NBA championship, Howard says he was led to believe he would re-sign with the franchise only for the deal to vanish.
“I was highly upset that I didn’t get a chance to compete for a title defense because I believed that we had a special team and we had a window where we could’ve won and been to the NBA Finals multiple years,” Howard told Robinson.
The eight-time All-Star recalled that the Lakers initially offered him a contract, which prompted him to post on social media that he was returning. Moments later, he says his agent informed him that the deal had been withdrawn.
“I was told that there was a contract and then I was so happy that I heard I was coming back, I tweeted about it and my agent called me back and said, ‘Hey. The Lakers took the contract off the table. You gotta take that tweet down,’” Howard explained.
Howard eventually signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, spending the 2020-21 season as Joel Embiid’s backup. He would later return to the Lakers in 2021-22 but never regained the role he held during the championship run.
His exit marked the start of a period of instability for Los Angeles. The franchise has gone through multiple roster changes since 2020, with only LeBron James and Davis remaining from the title-winning squad.
Howard, meanwhile, has played overseas and most recently in the Big 3, where he continues to extend his playing career.
Looking back, the 39-year-old remains frustrated that he never had the chance to help the Lakers defend their championship.
