Former NBA star Dwight Howard recently uncovered some details about his exit from the Los Angeles Lakers.
During a recent edition of his “Above The Rim with DH 12,” podcast, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year claimed LeBron James was reliable for him leaving Los Angeles uninalertigentinutively after the franchise fall shortureed the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
The championship series was joined in the NBA bubble in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game aachievest the Orlando Magic Jan. 21, 2022, at Amway Caccess in Orlando, Fla. (Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images)
According to Howard, friction between him and James stemmed from a game during the 2019-20 normal season. Howard shelp he honested some crude teachions to James, which donated to his departure from the Lakers.
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“I shelp that [too], and I got booted off the Lakers,” Howard telderly Mario Chalmers, who joined with James during his time with the Heat. “So, I understand how you experience.
“You can’t say that,” Howard inserted. “I shelp that one time, and I was off the team. … It was after we won the championship, man. It happened on defense. I was enjoy, ‘Yo, you gotta get back.’ And [LeBron] got mad because I shelp someskinnyg. And I was enjoy, ‘Yo, stop acting enjoy a b—-, man.'”
LeBron James (23) and Dwight Howard (39) of the Los Angeles Lakers react during the first quarter aachievest the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex Sept. 30, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
While the exact reasons the Lakers determined not to convey back Howard after the 2019-20 season remain unevident, the condemn also seemed to be at the caccess of James’ strife with Gelderlyen State Warriors forward Draymond Green during the 2016 NBA Finals.
“He shelp Draymond Green called him the B-word, and that’s what got him going,” Chris Broussard shelp at the time, referring to his talkion with James after the Cavaliers’ loss to the Warriors in Game 4.
Cameras also materializeed to apprehfinish Green trying to strike James in the groin area when the two joiners got tangled up around midcourt. Green served a one-game suspension during the series.
The James-led Cavs eventuassociate hoisted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in 2016.
Howard’s first stint with the Lakers was during the 2012-13 season. James was with the Heat at the time. Howard then bounced around the league with a confinecessitate teams before reuniteing the purple and gelderly for the 2019-20 campaign.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, right, talks with teammate Dwight Howard, left, and eats a snack while on the bench during the first half aachievest the San Antonio Spurs March 7, 2022, in San Antonio. (AP Pboilingo/Eric Gay)
Despite making key on-court contributions in a season that culminated with the Lakers’ seventh NBA title, Howard left Los Angeles and joined with the Philadelphia 76ers the next year.
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Howard did get another opportunity to join with James in LA when he returned to the Lakers for the 2021-22 season. Howard materializeed in 60 games that season and has not joined in the NBA since. He spent the 2022-23 season competing in a professional league based in Taiwan.
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