Read Dwight Howard’s emotional farewell message to Lakers fans

Dwight Howard took to Instagram to say goodbye to the Lakers after signing a one-year deal with the 76ers. 

After just one season with the Los Angeles Lakers, veteran big man Dwight Howard is ready for a new journey. Earlier this week, the 6-foot-10 Howard agreed to a new one-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Howard was with LA for a year (his second stint with the team), that doesn’t mean he didn’t build a bond with both the city and the fans. That much was made clear on Instagram, with Howard posting an emotional goodbye.

Leaving the Lakers is clearly difficult for Dwight Howard

It surely was a memorable year for Howard with the Lake Show, as the team was able to take down the Miami Heat to record yet another NBA Finals win. While LeBron James and Anthony Davis were the headliners for the team, Howard was his usual frightening presence down in the post.

On the season, he averaged 7.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per night coming off the bench. This was Howard’s second stint with the Lakers, as he also enjoyed a campaign at the Staples Center alongside Kobe Bryant back in 2012-13. That year, he averaged more than 17 points per contest.

Now, Howard can call himself an NBA champ, capturing his first title with the Lakers over the summer. He’ll hope to have the same kind of success with Philadelphia, a team which is hungry to go on a deep postseason run. With his focus now shifted to the Eastern Conference, Howard will do everything he can to try and help his new team.

At the same time, he’ll have countless memories of his second time around with the Lakers. You can tell making the call to leave was not easy for him, but hey, at least he’s got an NBA Finals ring coming his way.