Dwight Howard makes his feelings clear about fans disparaging Lakers' 2020 Championship

Back in 2020, Dwight Howard won his first NBA championship with the LA Lakers. Years removed from this achievement, the former Defensive Player of the Year sounded off on people diminishing their victory.

Due to the situations of that season, many fans and analysts have tried to claim that the Bubble championship isn't legit. Being played in empty venues and not having to travel, it is viewed as a much easier path to a title compared to a normal season.

On Friday, Dwight Howard joined Thanasis Antetokounmpo on his Thanalysis show. Among the things that were brought up was the 2020 championship, which led to the longtime Orlando Magic center sharing his true thoughts.

"A lot of people try to say that the Bubble championship was a bubble right, like it wasn't real," Howard said. "The games count. But they've been trying to say it didn't count because some teams wasn't really trying to win."

"They try to come up with so many variables."

Howard re-joined the Lakers in 2020 after a rocky stint with the team seven years prior. However, he proved to be a strong complementary piece alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Howard would end up starting in seven games during the finals run en route to secure the only championship of his career.

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Dwight Howard thinks 2020 Lakers could have been the start of a dynasty

In the years since he's departed from the Lakers, Dwight Howard has defended the 2020 team on numerous occasions. Last spring, the Hall of Fame candidate gave a bold take on how good that team could have been.

Howard does not think LA winning a title in the Bubble was a fluke. Back in April, he made a post on X (formerly Twitter) stating they would've become a dynasty if the roster hadn't been broken up.

"They should’ve never split that team up … we would’ve had 3 in a row," Howard wrote.

Shortly after winning the title in 2020, the Lakers' roster began going through a complete makeover. Dwight Howard was among the first to depart, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

As most know, the biggest shake-up the Lakers made following their latest championship was trading for Russell Westbrook. Rob Pelinka decided to part with depth in favor of star power, and it did not yield the results they were hoping for. The Lakers did manage to reach the conference finals in 2023 but got swept by the Denver Nuggets.

There is no telling if the Lakers would have been a dynasty if they stuck together. That said, LA has had the most success when LeBron and AD are surrounded by depth. Even if they didn't win another title, the Lakers likely would have remained a contender if the roster stayed together.