In an unprecedented move, Lakers free agent center Dwight Howard is leaving LA for Houston and will sign with the Rockets. Howard started to inform teams this afternoon that he was taking his talents to Houston and leaving LA after just one season that ended in a first round sweep to the Spurs.
While he met with the Lakers and four other teams, it sounds like Howard knew before his meeting with the Lakers that he was unlikely to re-sign.
However, according to ESPN, Howard is leaving LA for a multitude of reasons:
ESPN sources say Dwight Howard is leaving L.A. because of D’Antoni’s system, Nash’s age and not wanting to be Kobe’s sidekick for 3-4 years.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 5, 2013
Howard was very outspoken about D’Antoni’s system and his disdain for his offense after he felt like he needed more touches at several points throughout the season.
After the Lakers fired head coach Mike Brown, it was Howard who lobbied for Phil Jackson, but Lakers management went with D’Anotni even though he had reservations about playing in his system.
Coupled together with Kobe Bryant’s outspoken comments about playing for another “3-to-4” seasons and it sounds like Howard wasn’t up to the challenge of winning a championship alongside him.
The Steve Nash information is new, as it looked like at several times throughout the season that Howard and Nash had a good relationship, but coming off an injury plagued season, there’s some merit to his reservations.
Regardless, it sounds like Howard didn’t want to be in LA as the off-season became that much more interesting to see how the Lakers fill out their roster.
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In case you missed it, be sure to check out what Kobe Bryant Said To Dwight Howard.
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