Name: Dwight Howard is still great for the Lakers, and it's still surprising - Rachel Nichols | The Jump
Uploaded: 2020-07-02T09:21:34.000Z
Duration: 3 min 19 s
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you know all those famous sayings about improbability, you know, like that will happen when hell freezes over or when pigs fly or when Dwight Howard is back in a Laker uniform.

Okay, maybe that last one wasn't a famous expression, but it might as well have been.

Adverbs of degree

Think about just how unlikely this waas all the teams that Dwight has bounced around, none of which seem to really like him on his way out the door.

Remember when Washington's wizard GM Tommy Sheppard, told a dreamer Janowski this summer that when he pawned Dwight off on Memphis, it was quote, the quickest trade I have ever done in my life Way actually had White on the jump several times over those tough years, and each time he would express hope about his next stop.

And each time I genuinely had some hope that at some point he could turn things around.

Nah, none of us here predicted that you would need amnesia to forget just how bad things went for them the last time the clashes with Kobe.

The Lakers, trying to keep Howard anyway, is a free agent with those billboards that said Stay.

And then how he then bolted to Houston instead, even with the Rockets offering him $30 million less.

Honestly, it felt like a safer bet that Dwight will become, eh?

And yet everything changed after Boogie Cousins tore his A C L in mid August, leading GM Rob Pelinka to give Howard a second look, you know the story from there.

Howard hasn't just been good for the Lakers.

He has often been critical, anchoring the second unit with D founds, rebounding hustle.

And some nights, he's even more than that.

Like last night against Cleveland, it was a bit of a strange atmosphere at Staples 8 12 and 28.

Team like the Cavaliers don't usually draw that much of a buzz, but there is some extra juice last night with LeBron facing his old team.

Hey, apparently still remembers his entire handshake with Kevin Love, also with Kardashian X Tristan Thompson in town.

We got hey courts, I clearly squeezing in the game before their trip to Antarctica.

So good for that they were dressed for it, for all the attention elsewhere, a big part of the show turned out to be Dwight Howard.

With Anthony Davis still out, the Lakers needed production from Dwight and Boy Heat delivered, finishing with a season high 21 points, 15 rebounds.

Looking him through all these, even three, that everybody celebrating that one so smooth.

Afterward, Dwight talked about how much fun he's having with this team, and it's interesting he has never done.

And I told you so sort of press conference.

His play is doing the talking, as is Marco Fulton's in Orlando, Carmelo Anthony's in Portland, all of them sending this message loud and clear that turnarounds are possible no matter how unlikely they seem.

And in a time where the Internet encourages fans to whip on everything always, especially guys who have stumbled, it means something to see Dwight get back up, keep his balance this time and keep pushing forward.

I would just remind him to duck is he goes so it doesn't get hit with a flying pig on his way out.