Dwight Howard's Los Angeles Lakers redemption tour now gets to the final stop, in the hopes of reaching the ultimate goal. After 11 years, the 34-year-old is returning to the NBA Finals and will get a second chance at capturing an NBA championship after losing in 2009 against the Lakers as a member of the Orlando Magic.
After the Lakers' 117-107 Game 5 win over the Denver Nuggets, Howard emotionally expressed his gratitude:
“It means everything. Just having this opportunity again. I just promised myself, if I ever got a chance to get back, I was going to give everything I got to help our team win. I'm just so thankful and grateful that I have this opportunity. I'm going to make the most of it.
“I just promised myself if I ever got a chance to get back, I was going to give everything I got.”@DwightHoward on returning to the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/xlKwVKdKiQ
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 27, 2020
Even if you're not a fan of Dwight Howard, it's hard not to just be happy for the man.
This is someone who was previously the best center in the league, but he soon developed a bad reputation because of his attitude. Howard bounced from team to team and couldn't find a place that fit.
This season, however, Howard manned up and humbled himself into accepting whatever role the Lakers gave him. Howard's maturity and growth was on full display in their second-round series against the Houston Rockets. Despite not getting playing time due to Houston's small-ball strategy, Howard didn't sulk and whine like he did on his previous teams.
Instead, the big man stayed the course and kept himself ready. In the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets, Howard played a huge role in trying to slow down Nikola Jokic. Due to his energy and effort, Frank Vogel moved Howard into the starting lineup in Games 4 and 5.
Despite reaching the NBA Finals, Howard and the Lakers' job is not done just yet. Four more wins are needed for the 16-year veteran to capture his first-ever NBA title.
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