In an appearance on his podcast, former NBA big man Dwight Howard looked back on some of his biggest career mistakes. In a candid moment of reflection, he even admitted to feeling regret over leaving the Lakers back in 2013.
“Looking back on it, man, I made an emotional decision,” Howard said. “It was real emotional, and I heard that wasn’t good. They said Kobe [Bryant] said he wanted me to stay, but I don’t know, I don’t know. I wish I could go back and be like, let me make this decision wisely, weigh everything out. I don’t think I weighed my decision really well at the time. My emotions got the best of me.”
Dwight Howard, an 8x All-Star, will forever be an NBA legend and he did manage to win a championship with the Lakers in 2020. But Howard’s career is also one of the biggest what-ifs in modern basketball history. Had he done some things differently, or changed even one decision, his NBA tenure might be remembered in a much better light.
After being drafted first overall in 2004, Howard broke out in stardom right away, averaging 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on 60% shooting by his third year in the league. After 8 years with the Magic, and just a single Finals trip to show for it, Howard forced his way out in the summer of 2012, when he was traded to the Lakers in a blockbuster four-team deal involving Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga and multiple future draft picks.
Initially, Dwight was excited to join the Lakers and the fans were happy to have such a decorated big man back in the Purple and Gold. Paired with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, the Lakers were hopeful that they would be able to return to a state of title contention.
Dwight averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in the 2012-2013 season, but he just never clicked with that roster. As a team, the Lakers finished 7th in the West that year with a 45-37 record. Kobe had to put the team on his back just to make the playoffs, and when Bryant tore his Achilles in April they lost any chance of making a run.
Behind the scenes, Dwight clashed with Kobe and they never developed the bond that was necessary for success. Howard’s laid-back and goofy personality was a direct contrast to Kobe’s serious and competitive demeanor. So when Howard became a free agent that summer, he ignored the Lakers’ offer to come back on a lucrative new deal. Instead, he signed with the Rockets in hopes of forming a new superstar duo with James Harden.
Some Lakers fans never got over the way Howard turned his back on the franchise after one bad year and it seems that the Hall-of-Fame big man made his choice with his heart over his head. Fortunately, Dwight was able to redeem himself by helping the Lakers win the championship almost 10 years later. Truth be told, he probably should have never left.
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