LOS ANGELES – Dwight Howard smiled broadly before the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, receiving their 2020 championship ring with former Laker Danny Green.
It didn’t take long for Howard’s expression to change from joy to sadness.
Howard, returning to the Staples Center, was sent off between the first and second quarters when referee Kane Fitzgerald scored a technical foul on Howard for intentionally entering the Lakers’ big man Montrezl Harrell en route to the Philadelphia bench after the bell. sounded.
Howard and Harrell had already been called for double technical fouls for being involved with 1 minute and 8 seconds remaining in the first quarter, making the second coach an automatic disqualification for Howard.
Harrell pushed Howard away from him and continued towards the Lakers’ bench, turning to wave goodbye to the three-time Defense Player of the Year winner as he defended his case with Fitzgerald.
The Sixers won 109-101.
What motivated the duo’s disagreement is unclear, but Harrell, last year’s Sixth Man of the Year while playing for the LA Clippers, might never have joined the Lakers in the off-season if Howard hadn’t signed with the Sixers.
At the start of the free agency in November, Howard tweeted, “I will stay exactly where I belong. Laker Nation, I love you all. Purple and gold never grow old.”
In a bizarre turn of events, however, he quickly deleted the tweet and ended up signing a one-year, $ 2.6 million contract with Philadelphia. Later that day, the Lakers agreed to a two-year, $ 19 million deal with Harrell.