“They Picked Dwight Howard Instead”: Joakim Noah Doesn’t Regret Not Teaming Up With LeBron James and Winning NBA Title

Dwight Howard was pivotal in the Lakers’ championship win in 2020. The veteran was a difference-maker off the bench and achieved what he couldn’t in his first stint with the franchise. However, his redemption arc wouldn’t have happened had things panned out as Joakim Noah intended.

In an interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the former Defensive Player of the Year revealed he was keen on joining the Lakers in the 2019 offseason to play the role Howard ultimately did. He was willing to team up with old foe LeBron James to fulfill his championship aspirations But it wasn’t meant to be. Noah told Robinson,

“I tried [to join the Lakers in 2019], but they picked Dwight instead. You can’t beat that!”

When asked if he regretted missing out on the opportunity to win a title, the retired center claimed he did not. Noah and James had a history dating back to their days with the Bulls and Cavaliers, respectively. However, for the center, it’s all in the past.

When asked about the Lakers’ title run, he lauded James and the rest of the roster for getting the job done in the Bubble despite the difficult circumstances. Noah said,

“Everything happens for a reason. They were a great team. I think LeBron James did a really good job of leading that team; in the bubble especially. You’re away from your family or you didn’t have your family. I think he did a really good job.”

The Lakers seemingly passed on Noah due to his injury record. The center had played only 124 games in the four seasons before the 2019-20 campaign. While Howard missed 73 games the season before he joined the Lakers for the second time in his career, he had missed only one game the year prior.

He was also a better lob threat than the former Bulls center, making him a better fit on the roster. Noah did wind up representing LA that season, as he signed a 10-day deal with the Clippers that was later extended to last until the end of the season.

He wound up in a better situation than he wanted as he joined the team touted as the title favorite. They were living up to their billing until Game 5 of their second-round playoff series against the Nuggets.

Up 3-1 in the series, the Clippers were expected to seal it in Game 5 and set up a battle against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Instead, they blew massive leads in Games 5 and 6, before completely disappearing in Game 7.

They lost the series 4-3 and were eliminated in the most humiliating fashion possible. To make matters worse, the Lakers won the championship, a brutal outcome for their crosstown rivals and Noah.