"They turned it against me" - Dwight Howard claps back at 'social media' critics after catching constant flak 

Former NBA star Dwight Howard hasn't had the easiest journey in the league. Howard's been criticized for his antics off the court, which have not been well-received by other stars and former players. But he recently reminded everyone of how dominant he used to be on the basketball court.

Howard was once regarded as the best center in the NBA. That was when fan favorites like Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett were reaching the twilight of their careers. The defensive center truly took the league by storm.

His light-hearted personality wasn't appreciated by critics and by the time he was with the LA Lakers, he was receiving flak for not taking the game seriously enough.

On X (formerly Twitter), Howard reposted a video of his highlights showing how great he once was before being bombarded by criticism.

"I was the man before social media was a thing. Then when social media became a thing they turned it against me lol."

During his years with the Orlando Magic, Howard was dominant and even led the team to the NBA Finals in 2009. The eight-time All-Star spent eight seasons playing in Orlando where he averaged 18.4 points, 13 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He won three Defensive Player of the Year Awards and is the only player in history to do so for three consecutive years.

After playing for the Magic, Howard was traded to the Lakers and only spent one season there due to not seeing eye-to-eye with Kobe Bryant. The eight-time All-NBA center spent three seasons with the Houston Rockets after that and bounced around the league.

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Dwight Howard wants to play in the NBA In-Season Tournament before calling it quits

The NBA In-Season Tournament was a success after LeBron James and the Lakers won the first NBA Cup. Dwight Howard has been pondering about retirement but isn't convinced that it's time to take off his jersey yet. With the recent success of the league's new tournament, Howard sets his eyes on participating in it.

The 2020 champion posted on X about his desire to play in the tournament before retiring.

"I turned 38 today 🎈 and I thought about it lol… I’m not retiring before I have the chance to say I played in a In season tournament game lol"

At 38 years old, there's still a chance for him to sign with a team that desperately needs a veteran. The last time he was playing in the league was in the 2021-22 season, when he played for the Lakers for a third time.