Dwight Howard had his name brought up during Tuesday's edition of First Take on ESPN, during which Stephen A. Smith suggested the former NBA center could make a return to the Los Angeles Lakers' frontcourt.

Appearing on the show was NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who looked anything but convinced after Smith claimed that Howard could fill the Lakers' void as a rebounding-first big man. Windhorst made clear he disagreed with Smith's latest hot take, saying that Howard had been out of the league for too long for a comeback to make sense.

Howard didn't seem to take too kindly to Windhorst's remarks. Rather than take the high road and ignore the hypothetical presented by Smith and Windhorst, Howard took to social media to take a somewhat unnecessary jab at Windhorst.

"Layoff the burgers windy," wrote Howard on X, formerly Twitter.

Howard later edited that post and resurfaced an old interview in which he and DeMarcus Cousins––who was also mentioned by Windhurst during his First Take appearance on Tuesday––criticized Windhorst for doubting their abilities despite never playing in the NBA. "Boogie said it best," wrote Howard.

Howard hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season with the Lakers. He appeared in 60 games that season and averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds across 16.2 minutes per game. It's been three seasons since Howard last suited up for an NBA game, but he made clear he wasn't interested in Windhorst telling him he didn't have enough left in the tank for a comeback.

"This why I’m a podcaster now some people get a voice and just say things lol I never said I retired but thanks Stephen A & Shannon," Howard said in a separate post.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dwight Howard Claps Back After Brian Windhorst Suggested He Couldn't Play for Lakers.

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