Former Lakers champ Dwight Howard drops honest statement shutting door on return in purple and gold

It has been a while since fans have seen Dwight Howard set foot and compete on an NBA court. For a while, he seemed ready to get back and was even endorsing his service to some teams that needed a center. However, he has not played in the league since 2022.

One of the squads that Howard said he wanted to play for in the past was his old squad, the LA Lakers. Coincidentally, the team's depth at the center position needs to be addressed. Yet, it seems they have not pursued a reunion with their former center.

As it turns out, Howard himself appears to have changed his mind about returning to LA. He shared his thoughts on coming back to play for the Lakers when he was approached by TMZ. During the conversation, Howard was asked if he'd be ready if LA called.

"The Lakers are not calling me brother," Howard said.

The TMZ correspondent replied by asking him again if he was still ready should that call come.

"I'm always ready but there's more to life than basketball," Howard replied.

Dwight Howard didn't just have one stint with the LA Lakers, he had three. The first one was in 2012-13, when he formed a stacked squad with Steve Nash, Metta Sandiford-Artest, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

Their squad was supposed to rival the Miami Heat Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but it did not pan out that way. The Lakers dealt with issues, injury-related or otherwise.

They still managed to secure a Playoff spot with a 45-37 record but were swept in the opening round by the San Antonio Spurs.

Following that season, Howard left LA to play for the Houston Rockets where he teamed up with James Harden. He would also have stints with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards before finding his way back to LA for the 2019-20 season.

That year, the Lakers won the championship over the Miami Heat in the NBA Bubble, giving Howard his first and so far, only ring.

Dwight Howard then played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020-21 before once again returning to the Lakers in 2021-22.

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Jeannie Buss shared the reason why Dwight Howard was not brought back following the Lakers' 2020 title

Despite winning the 2020 title, the Lakers roster had some significant changes by the next season. Dwight Howard's departure was one of the more notable ones and it seemed that his leaving was not part of the plan.

This was discussed when LA Lakers president Jeannie Buss came as a guest on "Above the Rim with DH 12" in 2024.

During the podcast, Howard told Buss that he wanted to stay with the Lakers. However, there was some confusion as to whether the Lakers wanted to retain him due to his agent. Buss said that they had indeed offered him a contract but Howard said he never got it.

Buss admitted that aside from the miscommunication, timing also likely played a factor. However, she admitted that she thinks that particular squad should have been maintained.

"I feel like when you win a championship, you, that's when you give the guys a chance to defend their title," Buss said. (1:18:44-1:18:54)

The following season, the LA Lakers did still make the Playoffs but were eliminated in the opening round by the Phoenix Suns in six games.