Newer fans of the Los Angeles Lakers might not know this, but this season is already Dwight Howard's THIRD stint with the team. While his second tenure in LA was incredibly successful (resulting in a championship), the first one… didn't go so well. And as it turns out, even Howard himself didn't want to be in that situation.
Speaking with Fred Katz of The Athletic, Dwight Howard revealed why he didn't want to be traded to the Lakers back in 2012. He told Katz that he didn't want to follow in the footsteps of a legendary Lakers big man.
“My intention when I first left Orlando was not to go to L.A., and the Magic knew that, but despite my wishes to go somewhere else, they sent me to L.A., which was one of the places at that time that I did not want to go. I felt like it would have made people feel as though I was trying to follow in somebody else’s footsteps.”
After a dominant stint with the Orlando Magic that saw Howard become one of the league's best players, the former All-Star was traded to the Lakers. As it turns out, the decision to go to Los Angeles wasn't Dwight Howard's decision, as he didn't want to be the “successor” to a legend in Shaquille O'Neal.
Shaq and Howard have had some bad blood between them. The former Lakers superstar-turned-analyst has repeatedly dissed Howard, especially for taking his “Superman” nickname. It's no wonder then that Howard didn't really like his trade to the Lakers, as it would invite more unnecessary backlash from Shaq.
Dwight Howard's stay with the Lakers only lasted one season, as he moved to join James Harden in Houston shortly after. However, he more than made up for his first stint by helping LA win a championship in 2020.
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