After claiming to clamp Nikola Jokic in 2020 Bubble game, Dwight Howard posts cryptic meme following Lakers' blowout loss to Nuggets

Dwight Howard shared a cryptic message on social media after the LA Lakers suffered a blowout 127-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Howard uploaded a GIF of him during his Lakers days playfully trolling on the bench.

Given the context, the veteran big man may be signaling the Lakers to bring him back.

The timing of Howard's post is also notable, given that he recently talked about his past matchups against the Nuggets while playing for the Lakers in the NBA Bubble.

The former Lakers big man claimed that he locked up Nikola Jokic on defense during their Western Conference finals clash in the 2020 playoffs. The Lakers won the series in five games.

Here's what Dwight Howard said during his appearance on Kevin Garnett’s "KG Certified" podcast at the 16-second mark:

"Everything was a message... I wanted (Nikola Jokic) to see that every time he looked up, I was right there. Even in the bubble, all of us had our own meal rooms. I went to his meal room... Just so I could like, 'Yeah, I'm here. I'm here, wherever you want to go, I'm going to be right there.'"

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Looking back at Dwight Howard's second stint in LA

Dwight Howard played three seasons with the Lakers, but his second stint stands out as the most memorable. His contributions helped the Lakers secure their first NBA championship since the Kobe Bryant era.

Heading back to LA in the 2019-20 season, Howard faced skepticism from fans who remembered his tumultuous first stint with the team, when he formed a "big three" with Bryant and Steve Nash. However, Howard assured the team he would be on his best behavior and committed to doing whatever was needed to help the Lakers win a title.

Dwight Howard made good on that promise and embraced his role as a reserve. Playing a total of 69 regular season games that year, Howard averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His efforts earned him ninth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.