When free agency opened on Nov. 20, Dwight Howard tweeted out that he was going to go back to the Los Angeles Lakers. It made sense since he was a key piece off their bench and a championship team would like to keep key pieces of their team together.
However, moments later, there was no deal. He was not going back to the Lakers and shortly thereafter, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
So, what exactly happened? How was there such a drastic change in his free agency courtship?
“I was never offered a deal from the Lakers,” Howard explained. “Once Philly called and I talked to Doc, he already told me he wanted me on the team. I was super excited. Philly is a team that I’ve been watching and competing against for a couple of years. I’ve always thought they had the talent to be the best team in the NBA.”
The reason why the 16-year veteran thought he was going back was that he thought he had an offer. Then, there was not one so he has since deleted the tweet.
“At one point I did, so that’s when you saw the infamous tweet,” said Howard with a smile. “I really thought I was going back, but there was no offer. I understand it’s a business, the Lakers did what they felt was in their best interest and I’m just very thankful for them giving me the opportunity to come back to LA and have the opportunity of winning a championship.”
Dwight Howard was asked if he thought he had an offer from the Lakers in free agency and explained what happened when he tweeted he returning to the Lakers in free agency. pic.twitter.com/SRbLX89N2F
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) December 3, 2020
For Howard and the Sixers, the fact of the matter is that he is now in Philadelphia and ready to help this team push for a championship.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Howard said of Philadelphia. “I’m super excited about my purpose on this team and moving forward.” [lawrence-related id=39766,39734,39730]