Dwight Howard slams GM Rob Pelinka for disassembling 2020 NBA championship team, believing they had a chance to repeat the feat.

LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers team in the 2019-20 NBA season were undoubtedly a force to reckon. Consisting of stars like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and other notable names, they ended up winning the championship that year. It was perhaps the greatest roster the team has fielded in the league in recent times.

However, former Lakers player Howard has now slammed the team’s general manager, Rob Pelinka, for not keeping the lineup together. Shortly after their title win that year, Pelinka made tweaks to the roster, which ultimately dissolved the team. It was a decision that cost the franchise massively and has seen them lose out on subsequent NBA finals ever since.

You gotta think, we was the best team going into the bubble. We had the best record… I just believe that like Rob kind of like, he really messed up the dynasty that we was starting. I feel like we would have at least two championships and opportunity to fight for a third one.

While speaking on the Gil’s Arena Show recently, Dwight Howard said

The 2020 Lakers were a dynasty in the making 📈 pic.twitter.com/IWB2SGwYWS

— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) August 30, 2024

Back in 2020, it seemed like the Los Angeles Lakers were on course to start a dynasty with the title-winning team. The trio of LeBron James, Howard and Anthony Davis, were expected to challenge again and take another shot at winning. However, that didn’t happen because the core was already dismantled. In the view of the former player, it was a huge mistake by Pelinka to break up the team.

Dwight Howard’s off-court problems smeared his reputation

During his time in Los Angeles, Howard was a role player averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 61.2% from the field. He also had a reputation for being arguably the best shot-blocker the NBA has seen, allowing him to create his legacy. But that legacy soon took a hit when little by little, his personal life turned quite ugly.

The former NBA star had a long scuffle with the mothers of his five kids. In 2019, Masin Elije alleged that the center was bis*xual. Howard proceeded to file a defamation lawsuit against Elije, but suddenly dropped it this year before the trial phase. Then his ex-wife Te’a Cooper filed for divorce. Following that, Stephen Harper’s lawsuit came out.

Now that all of these are out of his life, he can try and rebuild that reputation. Playing basketball is one thing he does well, and he has decided to do it in Taiwan, as he knows there is no way an NBA team would sign him again. Not when he is approaching age 39.