Former NBA star Dwight Howard blames LeBron James for his Lakers exit after championship run

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Former NBA star Dwight Howard recently revealed some details about his exit from the Los Angeles Lakers. 

During a recent edition of his "Above The Rim with DH 12," podcast, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year claimed LeBron James was responsible for him leaving Los Angeles shortly after the franchise defeated the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals. 

The championship series was played in the NBA bubble in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers during a game against the Orlando Magic Jan. 21, 2022, at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.  (Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images)

According to Howard, friction between him and James stemmed from a game during the 2019-20 regular season. Howard said he directed some vulgar instructions to James, which contributed to his departure from the Lakers.

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"I said that [too], and I got kicked off the Lakers," Howard told Mario Chalmers, who played with James during his time with the Heat. "So, I know how you feel.

"You can’t say that," Howard added. "I said that one time, and I was off the team. … It was after we won the championship, man. It happened on defense. I was like, ‘Yo, you gotta get back.’ And [LeBron] got mad because I said something. And I was like, ‘Yo, stop acting like a b----, man.'"

LeBron James (23) and Dwight Howard (39) of the Los Angeles Lakers react during the first quarter against