The last year or so has been rough to say the least for center Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. With all the rumors of trade demands to the Brooklyn Nets and endless speculation on where he might be dealt before next season, Howard was dubbed as a bit of a problem child with an immature approach to the process of the business side of basketball.
Ultimately, Howard ended up where many thought he’d land as the latest superstar addition to the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite the “Dwightmare” coming to an end and a lot of news surfacing about the Orlando Magic front office possibly being the problem rather than Howard, some still believe Howard was the problem in Orlando rather than GM Rob Hennigan.
Recently, former NBA star Charles Oakley commented on the “Dwightmare” and had some unflattering words for the Lakers center on ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt Show:
“A lot of guys cry in this league these days. I try not to get caught up in that. The management in Orlando let him get away with it. Most times, they put kids in timeout. They never put him in timeout.
“He just kept crying and got his way. Now he’s in LA with Kobe so they got a chance to win a couple championships in the next two or three years.”
As one of the tougher players in the league during his era in the ‘90s, Oakley is no pushover and these comments should come as no surprise from any player that played during this time period.
Oakley is one of the many former NBA stars that most likely have the same feelings about the way players dictate where they play these days. Loyalty seems to be a thing of the past in professional sports with few superstars staying with the same team for their entire career.
Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki are perhaps the biggest names still active that have yet to play for another team during their Hall of Fame caliber careers in the NBA. With the way things are going in Los Angeles, Dallas and San Antonio, all three of these superstars will most likely end up retiring with the same team that they began their careers with.
______________________________________________________________________________________
In case you missed it – Dwight Howard’s introductory press conference with the Lakers!
______________________________________________________________________________________
