Dwight Howard responds to report about Lakers begging him to return

The Los Angeles Lakers are said to be somewhat desperate to bring Dwight Howard back, but the veteran big man may not be interpreting it that way.

During an appearance on ESPN LA 710’s “Mason & Ireland” show this week, Ramona Shelburne said the Lakers have been in constant contact with Howard this offseason. She said she was told by sources that the team calls Howard three times a week to let him know they want to re-sign him.

Howard seemed to refute that report on social media. A Lakers site on Instagram shared the information Shelburne passed along, and Howard commented with several baseball cap emojis. That was likely his way of saying Shelburne is “capping,” which is a slang for lying. Lakers Daily shared a screenshot of the post and Howard’s response.

While it would be somewhat surprising if the Lakers have been hounding Howard, it makes sense that they want to bring him back. He played a significant role at some points during the postseason, even if his most noteworthy job was aggravating an opposing star player.

Howard will turn 35 next month. He averaged just 7.5 points per game last season and is more of a bench player now, albeit a useful one. The Lakers apparently feel he’s an important piece for them.