![[original_title]](https://rawnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/67cf36fd9da34fa4867c3138c39a7dc5.jpeg)
Dwight Howard was confused.
On a crew led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Howard had been viewed as a key role player through the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship season. However he wasn’t introduced again the next season.
“I used to be so unhappy. I wished to return again,” Howard mentioned on this week’s episode of his “Above the Rim with DH12” podcast. “And I don’t know what had occurred.”
His visitor, Lakers controlling proprietor Jeanie Buss, was additionally confused — by Howard’s remark.
“You took a proposal from the Philadelphia 76ers,” Buss informed him.
Learn extra: Q&A: Jeanie Buss is wowed by WOW wrestling — and LeBron James. ‘He might be the greatest of all time’
Throughout a dialog that appeared genuinely heat and caring, Howard and Buss cleared the air concerning the finish to the second — and most profitable — of Howard’s three stints with the Lakers. The eight-time All-Star indicated he had been led to consider by his agent on the time that the crew had no real interest in re-signing him as a free agent.
“So, like, I don’t even know what the reality was as a result of what I used to be informed was that you simply guys didn’t have a proposal for me,” Howard mentioned.
Buss responded: “Oh, no, that’s not true. We made a proposal. We did.”
Howard replied: “I by no means even knew that. He informed me — properly, truly, he said that you guys had an offer, after which he mentioned you guys took the provide again and mentioned, ‘No.’”
Learn extra: LeBron James on Bronny’s best play from cardiac arrest return: ‘He walked off on his own’
Later within the dialog, Howard double-checked.
“So y’all did have a proposal for me?” he requested.
“Sure!” Buss answered.
She defined that with the NBA’s wage cap, typically it may be difficult to get the timing proper in making contract provides to construct a roster.
“I believe for a participant, if a crew is saying, like, we now have a contract however it’s important to wait to signal it or we gotta signal different gamers first, it’d simply appear to be you’re not a precedence,” Howard mentioned.
Buss responded: “I can see why you’d really feel that means and [that’s] most likely what one other crew attempting to signal you’d say to you to place us down. However that’s not who we’re. And you realize that.”
Each Howard and Buss agreed that the Lakers may have received further championships had the 2020 team stayed collectively. As an alternative, a number of gamers, together with Rajon Rondo, left as free brokers, whereas the crew traded away gamers like Danny Green and JaVale McGee.
Learn extra: Hall of Fame value: Why Michael Cooper finally made it to Springfield
“Do you’re feeling like if we might’ve saved the crew collectively we might’ve received a few championships?” Howard requested Buss.
Buss replied: “I believe so. I really feel like once you win a championship, that’s once you give the fellows an opportunity to defend their title. … However as soon as there was, like, three or 4 guys not coming again, then it wasn’t the identical anyway.”
Howard ended up signing a one-year deal with the 76ers however returned to the Lakers for 2021-22, the final of his 18 seasons within the NBA.
“It’s so good to have the dialog as a result of now it doesn’t depart room for miscommunication. We now have an understanding,” Howard mentioned. “As a result of for years I used to be so harm by that. … It simply appeared like we had one thing, but it surely’s identical to we didn’t pursue it like we must always have on each ends.”
Buss added later: “We might have been higher off staying collectively. However it was, like, a misdirection or a misunderstanding.”
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.
