That's a lie. He mentioned on multiple occasions that he wasn't sure of what he'd do when he becomes a free agent. Him leaving was an obvious possibility and everyone in the NBA knew it.
First off Dwight isn't Hakeem, so shooters are not fine. He needs a play maker on his squad. The days of dumping the ball into the low post all game are gone, with rule changes and because of the decline of talented big men. + Rudy T was a huge fan of stretch 4's a la Rashard Lewis. We actually won a championship with that thinking. But not in 03, lol...
The big thing about the fanfare of Howard's rookie year that I remember was that he was a good Christian boy. I'm not suggesting a Christian can't change teams, but the attitude he projects is far from what he was selling a few years ago. Not to get too D&D-ish, but as a high-profile Christian, this is the witness he's giving the world? A little editorial that does a good job of encapsulating my perception of the Dwight Howard mess: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sp...ward-lakers-orlando-magic.html/comment-page-2 [rquoter]What happened to the Dwight Howard we once knew? What happened to you, Dwight Howard? Where have you gone? Where is that God-fearing, fun-loving teenager who came to Orlando and said he would not only win championships here, he would elevate the city, make us forget Shaq and do his best to convert as many NBA players as possible to Christianity? Instead, you are poised to leave Orlando with zero championships. And we are not elevated but devastated as one of the most economically depressed cities in the country. And your Christian values seem to have faded and been replaced by your quest to become a movie star, a superhero, a walking, talking sneaker endorsement . You were going to make us forget Shaq; instead you are making us relive him. We thought you would be unique; we thought maybe just maybe you would be a different type of superstar. Instead, it seems, you are just like LeBron and all the rest. Just another self-absorbed NBA player who has been tainted by fame and a quest not for basketball greatness but for even more Twitter followers and global icon status. “Agents, shoe companies, and his advisers have turned him into someone else,” accurately wrote one Magic fan on Saturday, the depressing day in which the Magic informed Orlando that Dwight has requested a trade. You used to be humble and accommodating and good-natured. Now, you are brooding, aloof and full of yourself. You used to smile and laugh on the court. Now you frown and whine. And you think you should be an even bigger deal than you already are. You think you’ve outgrown Orlando. You listen to your sycophants and hangers-on more than you listen to your coach and your GM. What happened to you, Dwight? Where have you gone? Don’t you realize you can be bigger here than you can ever be anywhere else? If you go to L.A. and win championships, you’re just another hired gun; another rent-a-superstar the Lakers have pillaged from another team to help them win their umpteenth title. And if you go to New York and play for the Nets, you are on the fifth- or sixth-most popular team in town behind the Yankees, Giants, Jets, Mets, Knicks and Rangers. But if you stay here and win a championship, you own this town forever and ever. Hell, if you stay here and don’t win a championship, you own this town forever and ever. Why not dare to be different, Dwight? Why do you have to be like LeBron and Shaq? Why do you have to cut and run to go join other stars somewhere else? The truly great ones stay where they’re at and have other stars come join them. And, another thing, why do you have to leave us holding the bag (and the debt) on a brand new $500 million arena we built for you? In tough economic times, the fans and the city put their faith in you, Dwight. They thought you were serious about “loving the City of Orlando” and “bringing a championship to Orlando.” Even though the money wasn’t in the coffers, we built the arena anyway because we trusted and believed in you. Why do you think we nicknamed the new arena “The Dwight House”? Now, when you leave, we might as well call it “The Blight House.” What happened to you, Dwight? Where have you gone? Don’t you know you’ll be much more universally admired and respected if you stay and win a championship here? And in today’s digitially and electronicaly compressed world, you can be a global icon right here, too. You set an NBA record last year with more than 3 million All-Star votes right here. You were MVP runnerup last season right here. You have national endorsements with Gatorade, Adidas, McDonald’s, T-Mobile and Call of Duty (video game) right here. You’ve made movies right here. You’ve been on Leno and Letterman right here. You’ve got 2.5 million Twitter followers right here. You’ve been NBA Defensive Player of the year three straight times right here. And you know what else? You can win championships right here, too. All you have to do is announce that you’re staying in Orlando and other superstars will come and join you. Fans always blame GM Otis Smith for not going out and getting you another superstar. I don’t. I blame you, Dwight, more than Otis. Why haven’t you actively gone out and recruited another superstar? Dwyane Wade recruited LeBron to Miami. During the lockout, Carmelo Anthony went on Twitter and tried to recruit other stars to come join him with the Knicks. What about you, Dwight? You’re on Twitter all the time and I don’t remember you once tweeting a request for Chris Paul or Deron Williams to come join you in Orlando. Why, Dwight? Why is that? The fact is no other superstar was going to come to Orlando until you committed Orlando. And that just never happened. I know, I know, Dwight, it’s your life and you have a right to do with it what you want. And it may sound like I’m angry, but I’m not. I’m just sad. Very sad. And I’ve gotten tons of e-mail in the last couple of days from loyal Magic fans who are sad, too. They’re sad because they poured their hearts and their wallets into you, thinking that maybe you were different. Wrote one fan: “This is about loyalty and a sense of responsibility. In an age when short sales and bankruptcy bail people out of their own foolish mistakes, it would be good to see someone with the backbone to stay with the task at hand and not turn and run because of the adversity. I guess that is probably too much to ask of a modern NBA superstar.” I guess so. I guess so. What happened to you, Dwight? Where have you gone?[/rquoter]
And he didn't say anything about him staying in Cleveland either. People should have known when he dragged out the whole process and didn't resign earlier, there was a high chance he would leave. The only problem was the TV show. EDIT: Despite the bad year in Orlando for TMAC, he DID want to stay in Orlando. He demanded a trade b/c the GM criticized his character. In Howard's case, he wants to leave b/c he prefers the limelight of a bigger city (NJ/LA), moreso than winning I believe. If he wanted to win, he would demand a trade to OKC or Chicago.
Dwight Howard pushed for trades for Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis and Otis Smith ignored his requests.
How do you think Orlando could have traded for Jackson AND Monta? He wanted Arenas actually, and he got him.
No, Chris Broussard specifically said Howard wanted those two guys. Chris_Broussard Chris Broussard D12 wanted S Jax &/or M Ellis RT @WindhorstESPN: D12 cites GM Otis Smith refusal to take trade ideas for trade demand: es.pn/rMVdiq
I've heard of rumors in previous years that Magic were targeting those guys too. But how do you propose they get those guys? And Howard applauded the Arenas trade last year. The fact of the matter is, Howard has every right to demand a trade, b/c his surrounding parts aren't good enough, as should every #1 player in this league. But he changes his tune every minute on the reason he wants to be traded. First, he wanted a warm weather city (and NJ is his first choice) Second, he wants a bigger city (NJ/LA/NY) Now, he claims his GM doesn't involve him in personnel decisions, when Otis said he consulted with Dwight on every move.
What is the difference between what he's doing and what Carmelo did and CP3 is doing currently? At least Carmelo had the talent around him and CP3 had another all-star paired with him. You give Dwight the same supporting cast Carmelo had and he'd already win 1 title by now. Dwight has crap to play with. I don't blame him for leaving.
I don't blame him for leaving either. But his reasons for leaving change weekly like the weather. He didn't have to diss his GM, who has always praised him. The Magic were accomodating his trade requests, he didn't have to speak out. He should be like Chris Paul. Asked for a trade, and the team is looking to trade him. Case closed. Same with Howard.
He has every right to diss Otis Smith. That guy clearly doesn't know how run a basketball franchise. He's handing out max contracts like candy on halloween. Does he even now what the luxury tax is? I think he changed his tune about NJ after the they acquired Deron.
WindhorstESPN Brian Windhorst Magic CEO Alex Martins met with Dwight Howard this morning. Said team remains optimistic they will be able to convince Howard to re-sign.
