Former Lakers center Dwight Howard gets bodied in epic T1 League clash

After not being re-signed by the Los Angeles Lakers and contemplating a jump into the world of professional wrestling, future Hall of Famer Dwight Howard decided to take his talents to Taiwan and play in the T1 League.

Howard scored 38 points to go along with 25 rebounds in his debut for the Taoyuan Leopards, prompting another former Lakers fan favorite, Nick Young, to make his case for playing in the league alongside Howard.

Howard followed that up with another impressive showing the following day but was then sidelined for nearly a month with a knee injury. Just like in his debut, Howard once again made headlines in his return to the court, squaring up in an epic center battle that you have to see to believe.

For those unfamiliar, that is Sim Bhullar, who is notable for several reasons outside of being seven-foot-five and making Howard — who is six-foot-ten — look like his toddler little brother.

Only six players in NBA history have been taller than Bhallar, including recent fan-favorite Tacko Fall. Not only is his height notable, but Bhullar became the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA. He played in three games with the Sacramento Kings during the 2014-15 season, logging three total minutes.

Bhullar had a good game against the future Hall of Famer, scoring 17 points with eight rebounds and a pair of blocks. He definitely was not phased by Howard, telling reporters after the game that “It is what it is, which is basketball. I never back down from anybody on the court. It’s just another matchup for me.” (h/t William Yen, Focus Taiwan).

The Lakers might need to call up Dwight Howard after the Anthony Davis injury.

Dwight Howard continued to impress with a big stat line in his return to action for the Leopards. Howard led the entire game in scoring with 21 points to go along with 13 rebounds. Bhullar may have made him look small but it did not stop him from producing.

The Los Angeles Lakers are missing a notable big man for at least a month and might see this film and call up Howard to return to LA. After all, Rob Pelinka has not shied away from bringing in former Lakers in the past.

All joking aside (the Lakers don’t actually need Howard, they just need to play Thomas Bryant more), it is surprising that Howard doesn’t at least have a job in the NBA. Sure, the T1 League is not close to being the same level of competition as the NBA but there is obviously still some gas left in the tank.

You have other veteran centers like DeAndre Jordan who have roster spots in the league right now that are not producing well in the slightest. There is no way that Howard could be a worse option for several teams than the shaky veterans they are rolling out there off the bench.

Lakers who must desperately step up with Anthony Davis injured

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Anthony Davis for some time and it is imperative that these players step up in his absence.

But for now, Howard will continue to make headlines playing in the T1 League.