Just in case it wasn’t clear enough how different the two eras of Dwight Howard on the Los Angeles Lakers are, Howard has gone out of his way to cut off the connection to a failed era of Lakers basketball that has led to the last six years of ineptitude.
Rather than reprise his role as the No. 12 on the Lakers, the number he had in Orlando and Houston as perennial All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner, Howard has chosen No. 39 for his second chance in L.A., according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
With the choice, Howard becomes the first player in Lakers history to wear the No. 39. It also appears to be a nod from the player himself to what has been written about him in the media: that Howard is simply one of the guys this time. While he will likely go into the Hall of Fame as the famous No. 12 that was once a dominant force in the league, an unassuming No. 39 to do the dirty work next to Anthony Davis and LeBron James is exactly who they need the artist formerly known as D12 to be.
