Dwight Howard reveals he wanted to return to Lakers but they refused to offer multi-year contract: "Y’all could get your boy a meal or two"
Dwight Howard kept it real about his dealings with the LA Lakers when asked about wanting to play for the franchise again. The former 3-time Defensive Player of the Year played for the franchise on three separate occasions. The first stint didn't go according to plan and ended with Howard playing only one season.
His second stint saw him win his maiden championship. However, the Lakers didn't re-sign him. They brought him back a season later and didn't offer him a multi-year contract again, which saw him leave the franchise for the third time after only playing for a year.
Howard revealed the reason behind his one-year stint with the LA Lakers during an appearance on the "Club Shay Shay" podcast.
“I would’ve went willing to go back to the Lakers,” said Howard. “I’ve been willing to go back. They told me every time we not gonna give nobody over 30 a multiple-year contract.
"So I’m like, ‘Dang, I just helped y’all win the NBA championship. Y’all could get your boy a meal or two or give me a meal. I don’t want a whole bunch of minutes. Give me 20 minutes and let me ball out.'”
The LA Lakers endured a disastrous 2022-23 NBA season. They failed to qualify for the playoffs despite the presence of multiple potential Hall of Famers. LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard were part of the team. The Lakers assembled the oldest roster in the NBA and struggled due to it.
The Lakers approached the 2022 free agency with the idea of signing younger and more athletic players who could help them thrive defensively. Howard, 36, didn't fit that timeline, despite being a decent contributor as a backup big.
However, the LA Lakers' decision not to re-sign him after their 2020 championship win remains questionable. Howard was integral to their system and even started in seven of the Lakers' 18 playoff games, playing a crucial role.
The Lakers signed Marc Gasol, who wasn't as efficient on the glass or with his interior defense and eventually had to pursue Andre Drummond to fill the void left by Dwight Howard. Drummond was an awkward fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so that move didn't work either.
Dwight Howard departs for Taiwan after not getting picked up in free agency
Dwight Howard's time in the NBA could be up. The 8-time NBA All-Star didn't receive any offers during free agency. He was reportedly close to joining the Brooklyn Nets, but that deal fell apart. No other team has shown any significant interest in signing him.
Howard eventually decided to head overseas. Howard will be taking his talents to Taiwan's T1 league. He recently signed a deal with the Taoyuan Leopards. The former NBA champion broke the news through the team's YouTube channel.
"Taiwan this is Dwight Howard, a.k.a. Superman and I am so, so excited and I can't wait to touch down in Taiwan and start playing for the Taoyuan City Leopards."
Dwight Howard is not the first NBA player to play in the T1 league but is the most high-profile star to represent a team in Taiwan. He joins Diamond Stone, Branden Dawson, Troy Williams, and Deyonta Davis as the other players who have played in Taiwan.