Once the “Dwightmare” was finally over, Dwight Howard was clearly relieved to put the situation with the Orlando Magic behind him. The frustration of the constant trade rumors in Orlando definitely took their toll on the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and after the loss to the Magic on Sunday at Staples Center, Howard was frustrated once again fielding questions from a persistent Orlando reporter in the Lakers locker room.
For the first time since being traded the Lakers, Howard wasn’t smiling in the locker room and was unwilling to answer questions from Dave Pingalore of a local TV station in Orlando. Pingalore’s questions weren’t completely out of line, but Howard’s clearly has a past with the reporter with his responses to questions via Royce Young of CBSSports.com:
“Next question,” Howard responded after being asked about what the banter was like on the court between him and former teammates J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson.
“You don’t want to answer any of the questions then?” Pingalore asked.
“Not from you,” Howard responded.
Pingalore’s history with Howard is well documented with the reporter heavily involved in the Stan Van Gundy feud and constantly spreading bad information about all the trade speculation surrounding Howard back in Orlando over the last year and a half.
Fortunately, the Lakers will play the Magic only one more time this season with Howard and company traveling to Orlando on March 12, 2013. The second and final meeting of the season between these two teams will likely be a media circus with Howard’s return to Orlando.
httpvhd://youtu.be/-LQO52U4UNc
