Lakers News: Dwight Howard Gets Real About Reason Behind 2013 Free Agent LA Departure

When the Los Angeles Lakers were able to land superstar big man Dwight Howard ahead of the 2012-2013 season, the general consensus around the league was the NBA Finals were... LA vs the Miami Heat led by LeBron James and his own Big Three. The purple and gold were able to land Dwight Howard while holding onto both Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol and adding future hall of fame point guard Steve Nash.

It truly felt like all grounds were covered and that LA would be making a push for their first championship since 2010. Andrew Bynum was set to take the throne as the franchise's next great big man but injuries and poor attitude led to him being involved in the blockbuster trade to bring in Howard. Unfortunately, these same issues plagued Superman during his lone season in Hollywood and he averaged his least amount of points and rebounds in a season since 2006.

Howard eventually made his way back to the team in 2020 and he played a pivotal role in helping them win their 17th franchise championship. He's been on a number of teams over the course of his NBA career and now that he looks back with a more mature mindset, he was honest about why he originally left LA for the Houston Rockets after the 2013 season.

"When I saw James Harden, I looked at him like a younger version of Kobe [Bryant]. I don't know why I was thinking that. No disrespect to James. I'm not saying he's bad or anything. But I was thinking at the time that me and James could be like a new version of Kobe and [Shaquille O'Neal] because he's the young two-guard that's coming up in the league and I'm the older center that's been dominating. So I'm like man, maybe we got a chance. ... I think that the Lakers decision was solely based on I felt like me and James was going to be better at that time."

(Via Bleacher Report)

So there you have it folks... Howard looked at a rising Rockets team with James Harden just entering his prime next to a Lakers squad that he failed to fit in with led by the Black Mamba and rolled with Houston.

The two did have some great moments together but ultimately, Howard and Harden teamed up just as the Golden State Warriors were starting to figure out things for their own dynasty.

We appreciate Howard for his time in the purple and gold and hope fans remember him for his contributions to that 2020 squad!

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