The veteran center and one of the best defenders of all times, Dwight Howard became a part of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. Superman, as the fans like to call him, signed a one-year deal, non-guaranteed.
This news was revealed by the ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, whose post on Twitter made this deal public.
“Dwight Howard’s deal with the Lakers will be non-guaranteed, league source tells ESPN. Howard had several meetings with Lakers officials, and they’ll give him a chance to show he’s made changes in how he conducts himself. Lakers players were involved in process.”
Howard has been traded from Washington Wizards to the Memphis Grizzlies this summer, after playing just 9 games for the DC-based franchise last season. Over the recent five years, this would be his sixth team. He wasn’t getting along well in each of his previous destinations, mostly because of his bad temper and immature behavior, which cost him a lot throughout his career.
This is his second stint with the team from LA. Back in season 2012-2013 he appeared alongside Kobe Bryant, but couldn’t create the chemistry with Black Mamba, and had to leave after only one campaign.
Now, he arrived at LA to have a workout and compete for the spot on the roster, knowing that this might be his last chance to win a title. Howard, 33, is still one of the most dominant centers in the entire league. His defensive characteristics are fantastic, and after Boogie Cousins tore his ACL, the LAL was in desperate need of one center. Joakim Noah was also in the combination, but the management went for Howard.
According to sources, Howard was “humble” and had a different much more mature attitude when negotiating with the Lakers. Still, the team didn’t want to take any risks, and they kept the right to cut the player until January 7 without any costs or explanation. That would keep him sharp according to the experts.
Right now, Howard is the active player with the most double-doubles, and he is still a dominant force in the paint. Despite losing some of his weight, the athleticism of the 33-year old is unreal. His stint with the Wizards brought him only 9 games due to the injury he had, but now he presented all the medical evaluations to the Lakers’ medical staff, which are suggesting that he is 100% fit for the upcoming challenges.
Howard is an 8-time All-Star and a 5-time All-NBA. Besides that, he was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on 3 different occasions. He was the best rebounder of the league five times, twice the best blocker. In 2004 Orlando Magic picked him first overall at the NBA draft, and at the time, he was the most dominant center in the league, despite his youth.
Now, he is close to his career end, without a ring, and with a reputation of a failure, Dwight Howard is looking for his redemption in the Los Angeles Lakers.
