Los Angeles Lakers: Dwight Howard winning Finals would be poetic

Dwight Howard has a chance to win the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers

Dwight Howard‘s career post-Orlando took some strange twists and turns that ultimately led to him signing with the Los Angeles Lakers prior to this season.

At one point the best defensive center in the league with an extremely talented offensive game to add with it, Howard has gained a less than ideal reputation over the years in his playing with the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards.

Somehow, the All-Star big man quickly turned into an NBA journeyman, unable to find a suitable team to plug into.

Much of this was due to poor play, which was in part due to teams expecting Howard to be his same old self even after numerous back injuries.

Howard’s legacy should not be forgotten. He went to eight straight All-Star games, is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and is a five-time rebounding champion and two-time blocking champion.

Howard also pushed an Eastern Conference team to the NBA Finals in 2009, only to lose to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Two of those losses were overtime losses, showing that the 4-1 series win for the Lakers was a bit closer than the series record would indicate.

For Howard, this Finals showing sticks with him and motivates him in the Orlando bubble.

Dwight Howard is determined to win his first NBA Finals with the Lakers

Earlier this week, Dwight Howard took to Instagram to remember the 2009 Finals and how close he and the Magic came.

Howard spoke to how this motivates him to win one and how he promised himself that if he ever got back, he surely wouldn’t lose.

Howard was wishy-washy on whether or not he was going to participate in the NBA’s bubble experiment, a reasonable stance given the health concerns and all that is going on in the sphere of social justice around the United States. Eventually, he decided to play and decided to donate the remainder of his NBA salary to charity.

The redemptive arc of Howard’s career has been on full display in Los Angeles this season. This time with tempered expectations and a role in the background as a second-unit defensive player, he’s succeeded and played an integral role to the Lakers and their top-rated defense. Howard is averaging more blocks per 36 minutes than in the last six seasons.

For it all to culminate in such a way back where Howard’s career started likens to something out of a storybook. While Howard may not be the main character in the Lakers postseason push, he’ll have an impact on the team’s success.