NBA Twitter Absolutely Clowns Dwight Howard as He Returns to L.A.

On the afternoon of Aug. 23, it was reported by The Athletic that center Dwight Howard had signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract to return to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Almost instantly, Twitter was ablaze with people mocking Howard, the Lakers’ organization and its fans.

Howard played with the team in the 2012-13 after being acquired in a monster trade from the Orlando Magic. Despite coming off of back surgery, he averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while being named to the All-NBA Third Team.

However, it was a dismal season for the Purple and Gold, as a multitude of injuries limited them to just 45 wins and a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.

Howard left via free agency shortly afterward and has since played for four different teams. After not getting along with Kobe Bryant in L.A., Howard has gained a reputation for having trouble building goodwill with teammates.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday that the Lakers’ coaching staff and even players such as Anthony Davis met with Howard and let him know in no uncertain terms that they would not tolerate him causing any disruptions to the team.