- Recapping the Lakers’ wildly successful offseason and an in-depth preview of the upcoming 2023-24 NBA campaign
- Report: Golden State Warriors turn down signing Dwight Howard in favor of extra wing
- Shams mentions Lakers as he lists potentials landing spots for Buddy Hield
- Jason Kidd dishes on Kobe Bryant inspiring him to create basketball program for young women
- Jeanie Buss speaks out on death threats she got when Lakers were struggling last season before trade deadline
- Orlando Magic head coach says Paolo Banchero is combination of LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Carmelo Anthony
- Chandler Jones brings LeBron James into the equation as he continues bizarre barrage of messages
- Damian Lillard claps back at haters who discredit Lakers 2020 bubble title: ‘Everybody else had the same opportunity’
- LeBron James sends prayers to Nick Chubb after Browns RB suffers devastating injury
- Report: Lakers waive guard ahead of training camp
Video: Dwight Howard seen pestering, talking trash to Nikola Jokic in Game 3
- Updated: September 23, 2020
In the first two games of the Western Conference finals, Dwight Howard fully embraced his role to make life on the court extremely difficult for Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
Early in Game 3, the Lakers are struggling to keep the resilient Nuggets at bay. Denver has a commanding double-digit lead, but Howard is still trying to handle Jokic physically and vocally.
Dwight and Jokic are chirping 👀 pic.twitter.com/YcCmbJ4chZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 23, 2020
After bouncing around the league for a few years, Howard shockingly returned to the Lakers after an ugly exit in 2013. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was expected to be the cornerstone of the franchise in the twilight of Kobe Bryant’s career, but things didn’t work out as planned.
Howard left the Lakers willingly in NBA free agency once his contract expired, signing with the Houston Rockets. He instantly had become one of the most hated former Lakers players amongst fans and had been regularly booed when he played at the Staples Center.
Fortunately, he’s been able to reinvent himself in Los Angeles during his second stint with the team. The Lakers faithful has forgiven him for leaving as he has shown the willingness to embrace being a role player on the team that once tried to groom him into a franchise player.
As for this playoff series with the Nuggets, Howard has been crucial in helping the team contain Jokic and protect the paint and could be a major reason why the Lakers ultimately advance to the NBA Finals.