[ad_1]
Dwight Howard officially joined the Los Angeles Lakers six years after his acrimonious departure.
The center of the eight-star NBA veteran, aged 15, signed a contract with the Lakers on Monday. The unsecured agreement comes with a stern reservation from the Lakers that if Howard disrupts the team, he will be gone, said league sources Adrian Wojnarowski of the day. ESPN.
Howard had a memorable season with the Lakers in 2012-13 after joining the club with Steve Nash in the Los Angeles high-risk attempt to create an immediate championship contender. Although he led the NBA rebound and played valiantly in the injury game, Howard faced Kobe Bryant and then dismissed Los Angeles as a free agent after the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs.
He rebounded to six franchises after his departure, while the Lakers did not participate in the NBA post-season in the following six seasons.
Howard has been booed aggressively at Staples Center since he took a lot less money than what the Lakers had offered him and joined the Houston Rockets instead.
Howard played nine games last season after joining the Washington Wizards, but he has not played since November after undergoing spinal surgery. In good health with the Charlotte Hornets in 2017-18, Howard averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Howard showed the Lakers that his surgically repaired back was healthy and that he had lost 10 kg (25 pounds) to be in better condition. Eventually, the Lakers chose him rather than Joakim Noah, sources told ESPN.
Howard, 33, will assume the role that should be held by DeMarcus Cousins, who tore his ACL shortly after signing with the Lakers last month. The cousins could miss the entire season ahead, so Howard will team up with JaVale McGee and Anthony Davis to play in downtown Los Angeles.
With a career average of 17.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.0 shots saved per game, Howard is unquestionably one of the greatest players of his generation. Throughout his career, he has been criticized for his attitude and presence in the locker room, and he has made few fans in Los Angeles.
Howard's impending return to LA over the past week has sparked conflicting feelings among Lakers fans online, but he clearly persuaded the Lakers that he could be a strong support player and a good teammate when He worked for the club.
The Lakers were upset in the locker room last season, but these are mostly events outside the hall, especially Davis' unsuccessful pursuit as part of a mid-season deal. LeBron James and Rajon Rondo have emerged as leaders in their first season with the club and they will again be in charge of an alignment with several major changes.
The Lakers gave up attacker Aric Holman to create a location for Howard.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link