Dwight Howard fires 4-word clapback at NBA insider for doubting his comeback with Lakers

After the LA Lakers-Charlotte Hornets trade for Mark Williams was rescinded, fans cited Dwight Howard as a player LA could acquire to replace the young big man. While Howard hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season, he worked with the Warriors in September of 2023 while trying to make a return to the league.

Although he's eligible to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which seems indicative of the state of his career, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith threw out the possibility of LA signing Howard. While Shannon Sharpe co-signed the idea, longtime NBA insider Brian Windhorst wasn't feeling it.

As he pointed out, other experienced NBA veterans like DeMarcus Cousins are actively playing overseas and trying to return to the league, so it doesn't make sense for the team to consider re-acquiring Dwight Howard.

In a post on X (often still referred to as Twitter), Howard fired back at Windhorst, taking a jab at the longtime reporter's weight:

"Layoff the burgers windy," Howard said.

Dwight Howard then followed it up with a separate post using a clip of DeMarcus Cousins talking about Windhorst:

"Boogie said it best," Howard posted.

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"Are you being serious?" - Brian Windhorst in disbelief at Stephen A. Smith's Dwight Howard suggestion

After the 2020-21 season, Dwight Howard parted ways with the LA Lakers and joined the Taoyuan Leopard in Taiwan for the 2022-23 season.

Since then, the eight-time All-Star hasn't played professionally. However, as previously mentioned, leading up to the 2023-24 season, he had a several-day tryout with the Golden State Warriors. Ultimately, the team chose not to sign him.

The move effectively ended Howard's NBA career. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year failed to get signed by another team.

Because of that, when Stephen A. Smith suggested that the Lakers consider hiring Dwight Howard, which left Brian Windhorst stunned:

“DeMarcus Cousins is playing in Mongolia, why don’t you call him?” Windhorst responded. “Dwight Howard’s going into the Hall of Fame because he’s [been] retired for so long. His last time he played, he was in Taiwan. Are you being serious right now? ... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a free agent."

Windhorst went on to say that he wishes he had a camera on the faces of players like Chet Holmgren and Alperen Sengun so he could see the reactions of the two when Smith suggested the Lakers consider signing Howard.

With the trade deadline behind us and few options on the free agency/buyout market, there's no telling how things play out for LA.