feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

Over the years, Dwight Howard has openly expressed his sadness over his Lakers exit. The team won the championship in the bubble era, but the next season, along with him, other players faced exit. The 3x DPOY blamed his former agent and, another time, Rob Pelinka for causing hurdles in his return. But recently, he blames LeBron James as his feud with Stephen A. Smith boiled over at the touchline during a game.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

We just telling the story 🐐don’t do us like Stephen A 😵‍💫.” The former NBA champion tweeted and promoted his latest episode of the podcast with Mario Chalmers. He was part of the Heat franchise for 8 seasons and part of the team’s back-to-back championships. In the clip, the 2x NBA champion shared his incident with LeBron James. “Stop acting like a bit– that’s it.” Hearing this, even Dwight Howard chimed in: “I mean, I said that man and I got kicked out the Lakers so I know how you feel.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Chalmers’ fate wasn’t this serious, but he did have to suffer. “I got benched for the whole game bro, just like certain things you can’t say that.” The situation wasn’t a bust-up or heated-up moment of unresolved beef. But it stemmed from the former teammates of LeBron calling him out for his lack of effort on the defensive end. “It happened on defense, and I was like, ‘Yo, you got to get back,'” Dwight Howard said on his podcast. “And he got mad cuz I said something, and I was like ‘Yo, stop acting like a bit– man godamn.'”

DH-12 also clarified that it wasn’t a personal shot, just more responsibility from LeBron. Chalmers even received an apology from King James back in 2013. “I love @mchalmers15 like a blood brother! I was wrong and apologized to him! We good and will always be good. I ride wit him any & every day.” Although there is no beef currently, Howard did poke the current Stephen A. Smith’s interaction with LeBron.

ADVERTISEMENT

The ESPN analyst gave his two cents on the situation and stated what the 4x NBA champion told him. “LeBron approached me during the game, and he said, ‘Stop effing with my son,’” Smith admitted. His only response? A stunned, “Na, Na, Na.” It seems DH-12 sided with the veteran analyst over his former teammate. Interestingly, it was Smith last month who argued with his colleague and supported the former champion.

ADVERTISEMENT

Stephen A. Smith endorsed Dwight Howard for an NBA return

We all know, from the beginning of the last year, the 3x DPOY was logging for a return. In fact, he got a lot of support from the fanbase until he shut down those return talks. However, since the Lakers trade for Center Mark Williams failed, the Lakers nation wanted Dwight Howard to come back. So Stephen A. Smith pointed out that could be a possibility, but Brian Windhorst was not on board with the idea.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dwight Howard’s going into the Hall of Fame because he’s [been] retired for so long. His last time he played, he was in Taiwan. Are you being serious right now?” On First Take, Windy made his thoughts crystal clear. Seeing the media narrative against his ability, the former champion sent a scathing reply of his own.

On X, he simply stated: “Layoff the burgers windy.” He would later edit the tweet and replace it withBoogie said it best 🤷🏾‍♂️.” It was a clip from last year, where DeMarcus Cousins was on the Above the Rim podcast and criticized a media personality. It’s no secret that even Dwight Howard is not a fan of media personnel, as he feels they stopped his rightful inclusion in the NBA 75.

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Pranav Kotai

2,731 Articles

Pranav Kotai is an editor at EssentiallySports, specializing in basketball coverage with a focus on trade dynamics and front-office decision-making. Having previously worked on the Trade Desk vertical, he brought clarity to how salary cap pressures and roster needs shape NBA transactions. His insightful coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to hold firm on Joel Embiid amid trade speculation highlights how market context and team strategy influence major roster moves. Before joining EssentiallySports, Pranav holds experience of skills in professional writing, editorial work, and digital content creation. He holds a postgraduate diploma in digital media from a reputed institute, where he mastered the tools to create engaging and credible content across various platforms. Known for his attention to detail, proficiency in storytelling, and editorial expertise, Pranav combines deep basketball knowledge with sharp analytical abilities to deliver clear, insightful perspectives on the complexities of NBA trades and team management.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Oajaswini S Prabhu

ADVERTISEMENT