Mar 25, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard (39) reacts as he receives his 2020 NBA Championship rings before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Lakers Champion Dwight Howard Reveals Truth Behind Exit From Team After 2020 Title

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ricardo Klein | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 7:30 PM ET

The last time the Los Angeles Lakers won a title was during the 2019-20 season.

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The Lakers were one of the best teams that season from start to finish and proved that to be the case almost a year later. That season was one of the more memorable ones due to the cancellation and subsequent restart caused by the Coronavirus.

Los Angeles was loaded with talent that year. They had the chemistry to match their star power, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way. The supporting cast was stacked too, featuring Alex Caruso, Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, and Dwight Howard.

Howard rejoined the Lakers in August 2019, ready to redeem himself, and boy, did he. He was phenomenal for the Lakers in a backup role and revitalized his career after a few rocky seasons.

After helping lead LA to the title, Howard's time with the Lakers appeared to be solidified, until it wasn't.

Howard reflected on his second stint in LA and revealed how he really left the Lakers in the offseason.

"I was told that there was a contract and then I was so happy that I heard I was coming back, I tweeted about it and my agent called me back and said, 'Hey. The Lakers took the contract off the table. You gotta take that tweet down.' I was like, 'Damn! Why would they do that?' And it really kind of messed with me because I'm like, 'I came in with the right attitude towards winning, not worried about points, rebounds… just worried about us winning another championship...'" D12 said to Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson.

"So, but I was highly upset that I didn't get a chance to compete for a title defense because I believed that we had a special team and we had a window where we could've won and been to the NBA Finals multiple years," Howard added.

Howard loved being in Los Angeles, but one thing led to another, and he found his way back East, signing a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2020-21 season.

The Hall of Famer was pivotal for the Lakers that season. In 69 games, Howard averaged 7.5 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.1 blocks while shooting 72.9 percent from three in 18.9 minutes of action.

The former No. 1 overall pick may not have been the same player from earlier in his career, but he was impactful in every way the Lakers needed him to be.

Now on Saturday, he will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.