The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes of reuniting Anthony Davis with his former New Orleans Pelicans twin tower, DeMarcus Cousins. But after Boogie suffered an ACL injury during a pick-up game before training camp even began, the Lakers sought a replacement.
Los Angeles already had Javale McGee manning the middle during that time, but because McGee has asthma, he was most effective playing 20-25 minutes per contest.
The team needed one more big, and they wanted one with experience. That's when the Purple and Gold narrowed their choice to Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah .
"I tried, but they picked Dwight Howard instead," said Noah in an interview with Brandon 'Scoop' Robinson. "You can't beat that!"
Joakim was the better locker room leader
When it was reported that the Lakers were choosing between Noah and Howard, many felt Noah had a legitimate chance of landing that spot. Both players were 34 years old during that time, and both bigs were already past their prime and dealing with nagging injury issues.
Howard played for the Lakers before but did not leave a good impression during his one-and-done stint in 2012-13. The Frenchman was also viewed as a much better fit for the Lakers locker room since D12 was never known as a good leader during his prime years. But, ultimately, Dwight ended up getting a second chance in the City of Angels.
"Everything happens for a reason," added Noah. "They were a great team. I think LeBron James did a really good job of leading that team, in the Bubble especially. You're away from your family or you didn't have your family. I think he really did a good job."
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Noah ended up on the other side of Los Angeles
Joakim ended up signing with the Lakers' cross-town rival Clippers, but he only played five games for them. He was eventually waived, and after that, the two-time NCAA champion decided to call it a career.
Meanwhile, Howard went on to play 69 games for the Lakers during the 2019-20 season, averaging 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while coming off the bench. Superman even finished in the Top 10 in the Sixth Man of the Year voting but more importantly, he was a key player during their championship run.
But while Dwight ended up getting the ring that could have been his, Noah returned to Chicago, where his career peaked. He was named as an ambassador for the Bulls in 2021 and has become a valuable member of the community through his Noah's Arc Foundation.
Related: Joakim Noah says Ja Morant reminds him of Derrick Rose: "I think there's similarities in their explosiveness"
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