NBA journeyman Dwight Howard did not give up the fight and he is now reaping the rewards of his persistence.

The 34-year-old fulfilled his pursuit of an NBA title after 16 long seasons as the Los Angeles Lakers ended a decade-long title drought with a six-game conquest of the Miami Heat.

Howard marveled at the Larry O’Brien trophy during the awarding ceremony and emotion took over him as the thought of being an NBA champion dawned on him.

“To everybody out there, never give up on your dreams,” a crying Howard said in an Instagram Live while hugging the precious hardware.

“I swear, keep fighting. Never give up on yourself.”

Howard is no stranger to playing in the NBA Finals.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year led the Orlando Magic to the championship series in 2009, but they were beaten by the late Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in 5 games.

Life, though, has a funny way of coming full circle as Howard won his first title with the same team that dealt him his NBA Finals heartbreak.

“That hurt pretty bad. I remember that day like it was yesterday. We watched the Lakers celebrate on our home court,” Howard told reporters.

“It is just a blessing to be standing here with the Lakers, the team that beat us when I was in Orlando for the championship. Now to be on the Lakers and to win one, it is an amazing feeling.”

Second chance

Howard eventually joined the Lakers in 2012 and formed what looked on paper like a dangerous super team with Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace.

But the Lakers failed to live up to expectations that year as they suffered a first-round sweep to the San Antonio Spurs, with Howard bolting out of the team after just one season.

Since leaving the Lakers, Howard played for 4 different teams in the next 6 seasons, spending 3 seasons with the Houston Rockets and 1 season each with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards.

Hoping to get a new lease on life, Howard signed with the Lakers again, vowing to get rid of his habits that earned him the reputation as a team disruptor.

“I really enjoyed my first stint with the Lakers, it did not go what any of us planned for it to go. It humbled me and forced me to continue to get better despite of any situation that I was in,” Howard said.

“I was very thankful that I got the opportunity to get back and play for the Lakers. I knew that this opportunity, I was not going to let myself down, let my family down, my kids, and also Laker Nation.”

Reduced to being a role player, Howard did not have the same playing time he enjoyed during his first stint with the Lakers.

In fact, he logged in just one minute in the Lakers’ closeout 106-93 win over the Heat despite his team leading by as many as 36 points.

But when given the opportunity, Howard made his presence felt for the Lakers.

Up 2-1 against Denver, the Lakers finished off the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals with Howard starting in the last two games of the series.

Howard also started in the first two games of the NBA Finals, which the Lakers won comfortably by an average of 14 points.

“There were some games where I wanted to play and be in but I trusted our system, I trusted the process,” Howard said.

“I understand that this is about us, this is about all of us, what we’re trying to accomplish together.” – Rappler.com