Dwight Howard was unanimously regarded as the best center in the NBA during his prime with the Orlando Magic. So it’s no surprise that it was difficult for him to adjust to being less than the best player on his team. Howard opened up about his tough transition to becoming a role player after joining the Los Angeles Lakers.
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The eight-time All-Star shared how difficult it was to adjust from being the main offensive cog to an afterthought at times while playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. He was still an All-Star and arguably the league’s top big man during his initial stint in Los Angeles, but he was forced to play a much different brand of basketball than he was used to.
Howard shared how the words of then-assistant coach Kurt Rambis stuck with him when he first arrived in LA. “I’ll never forget what Kurt Rambis said to me the first day I got to the Lakers. He said, ‘You’re not Dwight Howard no more,'” the three-time Defensive Player of the Year recalled.
“As a player, I’m like, ‘Damn, what’re you saying?’ I’m not Dwight Howard? I thought you wanted me to be Dwight Howard… I didn’t know how to take them saying, ‘You ain’t gonna get no shots, we just want you to do this. You might not play tonight.’ I’m going through it,” Howard continued. “I ain’t know how to handle it.”
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Howard’s first go with the Lakers ended after just one disappointing season. But the future Hall of Famer was able to redeem his rep with the Purple and Gold several years down the line, taking on an even lesser role than he had his first time around.
Dwight Howard’s second stint in L.A. was finally successful
Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant butted heads as soon as Howard arrived in Los Angeles for the 2012-2013 season. Their personalities simply didn’t mesh, which, along with injuries, kept the star-laden Lakers from doing any damage in the playoffs. Howard quickly left for the Houston Rockets, but he would soon return for a much more successful run with the franchise.
After bouncing around several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards, Howard returned to the Lakers in 2019 to team up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in hopes of earning his first ring. He was no longer a starting-caliber center, but he was essential to the team’s playoff run.
Howard was a dominant sixth man with the Lakers, posting a near double-double off the bench while still showing off his superhuman athleticism. His rebounding and shot-blocking abilities helped the franchise win its 17th title.
After once being one of the fanbase’s most despised athletes, Howard was able to turn his standing around with the Lakers faithful in just one season. Howard came back around for a third stint in 2021-22, but that unfortunately ended with the team missing out on the playoffs, despite having one of the most stacked rosters.
