Little did everyone know at the time, but on April 8, 2022, future Hall of Famer Dwight Howard played in his final NBA game — a 120-101 win for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, the door isn't fully shut yet on a potential return to the NBA for Howard. But it doesn't seem as if any team is willing to give the 38-year-old big man another chance.

Regardless, even though his prospects of making it back to the league are looking bleak, Howard's clamors for a potential NBA return haven't stopped whatsoever. In fact, Howard had Lakers owner Jeanie Buss as the guest on the most recent episode of his podcast, Above The Rim with DH 12 and shot his shot for one more shot at being a part of an NBA roster.

“Jeanie give me one more chance,” Howard sung in front of the Lakers' owner.

Of course, Howard sung that in jest, and it doesn't seem like the Lakers organization is in any hurry to scoop up a 38-year-old center who has been away from the NBA for two full seasons now. Nevertheless, Howard admitted in front of Buss that he was pained that the Lakers didn't bring him back because he felt as if the team was meant to do something special yet again if they stayed together for at least one more season.

“I was hurt because I felt like the team that we had was gonna be back together again. I thought that I had did something wrong. And JaVale [McGee] as well. I wish we would have had the chance to run it back,” Howard added.

Howard did make it back to the Lakers for the 2021-22 season, but by then, they had traded away Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma for Russell Westbrook — fully breaking up the supporting core that made up the 2020 NBA championship-winning team. Perhaps that's what stings about this entire situation. Howard did not even get a chance to contend for another championship after getting a taste of what it's like to reach the NBA's mountaintop.

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Why did the Lakers not bring Dwight Howard back in 2020?

The Lakers curiously changed up their center core heading into the 2020-21 season. Gone were Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, and in went Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell, with the latter being a huge get at the time while coming off a Sixth Man of the Year award-winning season.

But according to Jeanie Buss, the Lakers made an offer for Howard. This, unfortunately, did not reach Howard's ears, perhaps due to the controversy his agent at the time was embroiled in.

“I was sad. I wanted to come back. And I don't know what had happened. What I was told was that you guys didn't have an offer for me,” Howard said.

Gasol declined steeply during his lone year with the Lakers and Harrell flopped during his time with the Purple and Gold. LA had to bring in Andre Drummond to reinforce their center corps. That iteration of the Lakers certainly could have used Howard.