March 21, 2025
Ex-NBA All-Star Dwight Howard Says There’s No Way He Returns To The Lakers
Howard says the Lakers haven't called him and that he's content living life outside of basketball.
NBA legend Dwight Howard has restated any speculation surrounding a potential Lakers reunion. The 39-year-old center told TMZ Sports on March 21 that there was no chance he would re-sign with the Los Angeles basketball team.
The stir surrounding Howard’s potential return to the LA Lakers rose to a fever following Anthony Davis’s swap for Luka Doncic earlier this year — a move that buzzed on the internet for weeks. The change had California NBA fans hoping that Howard might return.
However, TMZ Sports revealed in an interview that the basketball star said it would never happen.
Howard told TMZ that the team hasn’t called him, and he’s focused on life outside of basketball for now.
“Lakers not calling me,” he said to TMZ Sports.
“I don’t think it’s happening. Jeanie [Buss], call me, but I’m not signing with the team,” Howard continued.
After the big Davis and Doncic trade, many LA Lakers fans believed that Howard was expressing some interest in rejoining the squad, in a series of X posts.
Thousands of people on the internet reacted to the deal on social media, including former Lakers star Dwight Howard.
He wrote, “Ad said he wanted a 5, and they traded bro d***.”
His comment section was then flooded with speculations that he could slot back onto the team after the deal, but when the center spot was filled, he posted, “Lakers got a center now yall can stop tagging me.”
Howard has been off any NBA lineup for four years, and he’s content with keeping it that way.
“I’m a“ways ready,” Howard admitted. “But there’s more to life than basketball.”
Despite that, he said he thinks the Lakers’ current squad still has a winning roster.
“Yeah, they got a real shot [at NBA title],” he told TMZ.
Howard had an extensive NBA career. Most recently, he played for Taiwan’s Taoyuan Leopards in the 2022-23 season. Over the course of his career, Howard has had three stints with the Lakers: the 2012-13, 2019-20, and 2021-22 seasons. He was even renowned as a pivotal player in their 2020 championship run.
Not only is his NBA career extensive, but it’s also impressive. Throughout 18 seasons, Howard is an eight-time All-Star who played in 1,242 NBA games. He averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game.
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