LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers went head-to-head against Gregg Popovich's struggling San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at the Staples Center and resembled the dominant force they have been for the majority of the season thus far. Along with handing the Spurs their 28th loss of the 2019-20 campaign, Dwight Howard had another solid performance off the bench and passed Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal in an impressive category.
With 12 points and 11 rebounds, Howard recorded the 728th double-double of his NBA career and officially passed Shaq for 9th on the NBA's all-time list. It may not be as prestigious as the all-time scoring list or other categories that get talked to back on a frequent basis, but it is an impressive feat, to say the least.
Coming into this season with the Lakers for his second stint with the team, Howard was on a non-guaranteed deal with an uncertain future ahead. Dwight was so impressive in a workout with the team that he left in NBA free agency back in 2013 that Rob Pelinka and company were compelled to bring him into the fold. LeBron James and Anthony Davis signed off on him coming on following years of dysfunction and bouncing around the league, which only enforced this decision being the right one for this team.
Although Howard has taken a backseat in Los Angeles considering the fact he's now a bench player, he has embraced the new role and thrived during the process. The veteran center is playing just under 20 minutes a night while averaging 7.8 rebounds and 7.5 points per game.
The time for padding stats and moving up lists like this is over for Dwight as he plays a backup role for this Lakers team. Still, he's loving his second time around with Los Angeles and will continue to be a key contributor for this title contender moving forward.
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