Far from coming back stronger from a rather disappointing year, the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen incredibly short of expectations in the 2021-22 NBA regular season. This time, LeBron James and company didn't even qualify for the postseason.
The Purple and Gold, who entered the campaign with championship aspirations, have ended up in 11th place in the Western Conference with a poor 33-49 record, which eventually cost Frank Vogel his job.
More changes, however, are expected to be made in LA following such a terrible season. The future of many players, including Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, has been put into question, but Dwight Howard expects to not be part of the house cleaning.
Dwight Howard wants to stay with LeBron James at the Lakers
In his exit interview after a forgettable year, the veteran big man explained he loves to be a Laker and would love to have another chance to prove he's got a lot left in his tank. “Do I want to come back? Why would I want to leave?” Howard said, via Fadeaway World.
"I love being here, I love the fans... I would just really like an opportunity to where I can really go out and go out with a bang. I’ve only got a couple years left, so I want an opportunity where I can go out and show my skills and talent and do it in the right way, but also win. I feel like I deserve that.”
Howard actually had a second opportunity in LA last season, as he was one of the many veteran additions to what turned out to be an aging roster. He may have not contributed too much, but he is confident on what he can bring to the table next year.
“Well obviously I personally still feel like I can do more and bring more, just given the opportunity,” Howard added. “But I’m grateful that I had another opportunity to come back here and play here in L.A. I know it didn’t end the way that we all hoped for and expected it to, but looking back on this season and there’s a lot to be very thankful for."
It may be too soon to tell whether the Lakers will hear him, but what we know is that changes must be made after such a terrible outcome. There's still a long time before next season begins, and it remains to be seen whether Howard continues to be part of the Lakers' plans.
