“I Could’ve Been Paralyzed”: Dwight Howard Recalls Making Comeback Post Back Injury and Lakers Fans Blaming Him

Veteran center Dwight Howard squashes the theory of his first season with the Lakers being a bust, citing his statistics. 

The first pick in the 2004 Draft, Dwight Howard, was widely touted as the next big thing in the NBA. Selected by the Orlando Magic, the former ROTY impressed everyone with his athleticism and ability to dominate in the paint, even drawing parallels to Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

At mere 26 years of age, Howard already had a Hall of Fame resume, with 6 All-Star selections, 5 All-NBA First Team, and 3 DPOYs, to name a few. Not to forget the show he put up at the 2008 slam dunk contest, displaying his freakish athleticism, the Atlanta native was something special.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the former Magic big man as he was diagnosed with a herniated disc, subsequently undergoing surgery in 2012. At the time, Howard had demanded a trade from Orlando, resulting in him being shipped to LA, joining forces with Kobe Bryant.

Also read: A 26-year-old Dwight Howard was already a Hall of Famer before his career-threatening back injury

While Howard would return in time from injury to begin his stint with the purple and gold, his back continued to give him issues, coupled with a shoulder injury he sustained during the 2012-13 season.

“People don’t understand how serious that surgery was”: Dwight Howard narrates coming back from a grave injury and making his debut for the Lakers.

It won’t be wrong to say that Howard’s first tenure with the Lakers didn’t go as planned, with nagging injuries and playing second fiddle to the Black Mamba making it difficult for the 6ft 10′ center to fit himself on the roster, evidence being the dip in his numbers compared to those in Orlando.

The Lakers Nation didn’t make it any easier for Howard, blaming him for the losses the team suffered, with things getting only worse during the 2013 playoffs after a first-round sweep at the hands of the Spurs. Reports suggested that D-12 and the Mamba were never on the same page.

Nonetheless, during a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Howard would set the record straight, debunking the theory of his first season with the Lakers being a bust, also addressing the severity of his back injury.

“People don’t understand how serious that surgery was and what was going on in my back. If he would have moved whatever utensil he was using, a centimeter over to the left or right, I could’ve been paralyzed so that sh*t was dead serious.”

Adding how he returned within mere 4 months despite needing to take a year off, Howard said the following.

“I came back in 4 months and I averaged 22 and near 13, the second half of the season and I was an All-Star and I led the league in rebounds and I was second in blocks and people in LA were saying I had a bad season that was the reason why LA lost, how?”

Dwight Howard’s Lakers connection.

Howard’s first stint with the Lakers didn’t go as planned, playing a mere one season. However, destiny had other plans, as the veteran would return to LA in the 2019-20 season on a minimum contract.

Nevertheless, Howard shined in his role as a supporting cast, winning his first NBA championship. Unfortunately, this time as well, the big man’s stint was limited to one season, only to return for the 3rd time in the 2021-22 season.

Also read: I knew politics was the reason, I wasn’t going to be on the list”: Dwight Howard talks about being snubbed from the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team, and how he’s unaffected by it