Tribute could gauge feelings toward Howard
How do Central Floridians feel about Dwight Howard these days?
A definitive answer could come during the first quarter of tonight’s game between Howard’s Houston Rockets and the Orlando Magic.
As a part of their ongoing 25th-anniversary celebration, the Magic will air a video tribute to Howard on Amway Center’s scoreboard during a first-quarter timeout.
The Magic have shown similar video tributes this season for former players and coaches who were visiting with their current teams. In most cases, Orlando’s typically disengaged fans have greeted the returnees with little more than polite applause.
Howard likely will inspire a more impassioned reaction. His departure from the Magic was Nelson’s status in doubt for tonight’s game. C5 one of the messiest, most bizarre divorces between a player and a franchise in NBA history — a
that Cleveland Cavaliers fans unleashed on LeBron James when he returned to Cleveland for the first time months-long, roller-coaster following his move to the ride that finally ended on Miami Heat. Aug. 10, 2012, when Howard In last season’s Lakerswas sent to the Los Angeles Magic game in Orlando, Lakers in a four-team trade. Howard occasionally yelled
Arron Afflalo, one of the right back at some of the players whom the Magic acharshest courtside hecklers, quired in the Howard trade, including then-Magic powunderstands that tonight’s er forward Glen Davis. And, game means a lot to some as the Magic repeatedly sent fans. Howard to the free-throw
“I get it,” Afflalo said. line — infuriating some of “Dwight was a fixture here Howard’s friends and adfor a long time. But somevisers — Howard responded times players have to move by scoring 39 points and on in the best interests of grabbing 16 rebounds. themselves and their family, The Lakers won106-97. and he had every right to do That game was a sellout. that.” Tonight’s game isn’t a
Howard has suffered in sellout. At least not yet. Acrecent days from muscle cording to Ticketmaster’s 25, 2012, just days before spasms in his lower back, interactive seat map, hunJacque Vaughn was hired as and the injury made him a dreds of seats remained for the Magic’s new coach. game- time decision for sale on the primary market The irony is that Howard Tuesday night’s matchup as of early Tuesday evening. almost certainly would’ve between the Rockets and A Magic spokesman said loved playing for Vaughn, the Miami Heat in Houston. about 3,000 tickets were still who consistently exudes Hypothetically, the injury available. positivity — the trait Howcould prevent him from The Magic decided to ard said he wanted from a playing tonight against the trade Howard after the coach in the first place. Magic. team’s new general manHoward eventually
Howard has played once ager, Rob Hennigan, met spurned the Lakers and in Orlando since the Magic twice with Howard during signed instead with the traded him. the summer of 2012 and atRockets, and Howard said
On March 12, 2013, many tempted to build a relationhe loves his new team and fans inside Amway Center ship with Howard. new city. The Rockets could showered him with boos, Howard told Hennigan make a deep playoff run this and a few courtside year.heckhe had no interest in staying lers taunted him coarsely. with the Magic. Meanwhile, the Magic But the level of vitriol was The second face-to-face are in Year Two of a massive nothing close to the anger meeting took place on July rebuilding project — with WHERE: Amway Center. BROADCAST: TV — Fox Sports Florida. RADIO — 580 AM (WDBO). SPANISH — elorlandomagic.com.
THE BUZZ: This is the second game of a back-to-back for the Rockets, who hosted the Miami Heat on Tuesday night in Houston. . . . The Rockets entered that matchup with 11 wins in their last 13 games. . . . Dwight Howard is a big reason for the team’s success. He began Tuesday averaging 18.9 points and12.5 rebounds per game, but he has had a sore lower back in recent days. . . . James Harden has emerged as one of the most gifted scorers in the sport. Harden began Tuesday averaging 24.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. . . . On Dec. 8, the Rockets beat the Magic 98-88, but Orlando center Nik Vucevic sat out that game because of an ankle injury.
Josh Robbins no obvious end date — and Jameer Nelson is the only player left on Orlando’s roster who once played alongside Howard.
“I think overall we’re headed in the right direction, so I think that’s the most important thing,” Vaughn said. “Our young group is growing. We’re creating an atmosphere where guys want to be in our locker room and, at the end of the day, an atmosphere that’s built around work. That’s what we’ll always be about. We’ll earn what we get.”
Of course, just the opposite happened. He ended up ruining his reputation, trashing his brand, getting more negative media coverage and becoming a much smaller star. It’s like ESPN analyst and former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy once told me: “Dwight had it great in Orlando, and I think only after you leave do you realize just how good you had it. Unfortunately, you can’t go back home again.”
But in Houston, Dwight’s about as close as he can get to what he had in Orlando. The Rockets are one of the best teams in the West — young, exciting, dynamic. And Dwight, for the first time in years, has that infectious, effervescent smile perpetually splashed across his face.
Winning instead of whining.
Grinning instead of groaning. Welcome back, Dwight. We missed you.