Dwight Howard in ‘tears’ after seeing Lakers ring ceremony

Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard was in tears on Tuesday night as he watched his former Lakers teammates accept their championship rings for the 2019-20 NBA title that he was a part of last season.

Right now, exactly when Howard receives his ring is uncertain, with the only game announced between his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Lakers, scheduled for Jan. 27 in Philly.

Howard spent just one season with the Lakers before leaving in free agency to sign with the 76ers last month. That end marked his second one-season tenure with the team, though the first ended in a less-positive fashion.

The role that Howard played last season was one in which he came off the bench, a far cry from the era in which he became one of the most dominating presences in the paint.

Yet despite his diminished status, Howard appeared to be happy for the first time in years, and that positivity no doubt caught the eye of the Sixers.

In Howard’s new role with the 76ers, new head coach Doc Rivers is hoping that he can impart wisdom to the talented roster that has been a disappointment over the past three years.

The 76ers haven’t got past the Eastern Conference semifinals during that span. Last year within the bubble, the Sixers were swept in four games during the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.