A giant of the game, his career a whirlwind of ‘what ifs,’ sits across from a former teammate, a veteran with eyes that have seen it all. The podcast begins, and the conversation shifts into territory rarely explored. Not highlight reels, not game winners, but the raw, unfiltered autopsy of a journey—a journey that forces a reckoning with how we define success in the league. Did Dwight Howard’s NBA career have some major yet avoidable mistakes? Well, there can be some extent of agreement on that. But who is to blame? One of his former teammates is holding no one but the 3x Defensive Player of the Year himself accountable.
The conversation on D12’s Above The Rim podcast started with Dooling highlighting that one does not get to process his journey during his time in the league. And that there is a lack of emotional intelligence to set the boundaries. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard wanted to get to the root of it.
“Why do you think that? Is that. Do you think it’s just we was misguided,” D12 raised an important question on his Above The Rim podcast. Keyon Dooling, however, had a completely different opinion. He does not believe at all that his generation of players was misguided. Dwight Howard’s former teammate, in fact, emphasized that their families and communities did the best they could. To this, the former Los Angeles Lakers star clarified he meant being misguided as someone in the league.
“I wasn’t saying misguided as far as family. I’m just saying misguided as a whole. Because for me, coming into the NBA at 18, I just feel like I was not properly prepared,” D12 said. The 3x DPOY then listed challenges like finances, credit cards, money manager account, and more that bothered him initially. But the biggest issue? Information overload.
“I’m having players saying, hey, don’t tell nobody your business. Then just don’t tell nobody the NBA Players association your business. But you gotta have somebody to talk to. I’m like, dang, what do I do? Do I just don’t talk to nobody… But then it becomes like you alienate yourself… So it was a very difficult position to be in,” Howard said on his podcast. Well, there is no denying that Howard had some issues during his career. In fact, his departure from his debut franchise, the Orlando Magic, was surrounded by controversy of sorts.
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 03: Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard 39 before the Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers game on April 03, 2022, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire NBA, Basketball Herren, USA APR 03 Nuggets at Lakers Icon2204031080
A widely reported chain of thought is that D12’s departure from Magic was fueled by his desire for a championship-caliber team and a strained relationship with then-coach Stan Van Gundy. Thus came his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. Was there someone else to blame?
Well, Dooling, for one, believes Dwight Howard, too, was at fault. And he didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts one bit before letting them out on D12. “Well, you know what, Thunder? You had a thick skull. You ain’t listen all the time… I think that, like, it was hard for you to receive information because, like, you were so much better than all,” he said. Straight and to the point without any filters. Well, maybe some of his moves do deserve this sort of criticism.
It’s no secret that Howard’s first run with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012 turned into a nightmare. It had all the makings of a dominant partnership with Kobe Bryant, but instead, it spiraled into a season filled with tension, injuries, and struggles under Mike D’Antoni’s system. It didn’t take long for Howard to pack his bags and head to the Houston Rockets, hoping for a fresh start. But little did he know, he was stepping into an even tougher situation.
What exactly convinced Dwight Howard to make the move
The question lingers: What drove Dwight Howard to leave the Lakers in 2013? What siren song lured him to Houston, away from a team that, on paper, held immense potential? The answer, as Howard himself revealed in a 2023 interview, was his belief that James Harden could be the second coming of Bryant.
“I looked at him [James Harden] like a younger version of Kobe. I don’t know why I was thinking that. No disrespect to James, but I was thinking that at the time that me, and James could be a new version of Kobe and Shaq…” Howard shared. That expectation, however, never turned into reality. His dynamic with Harden was barely smoother than his rocky relationship with Bryant, making his Houston stint just as frustrating. Now, looking back, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year realizes that emotions clouded his judgment back in 2012.
“If I would’ve sat down and really thought about my decisions without being in my emotions, I probably would’ve stayed in LA,” he admitted. Well, there is no denying that this move was Howard’s own doing to some extent. And the chances are there would have been some who would’ve advised him against it. But once again, as mentioned by Dooling, it came down to what Dwight Howard felt was right.
The debate surrounding Dwight Howard’s career is unlikely to reach a simple conclusion. His undeniable talent and defensive prowess are juxtaposed against his perceived lack of receptiveness and questionable decision-making. Ultimately, Howard’s career makes us reconsider the game as just something going on court.
The post “Thick Skull”: Ex-Celtics Star Takes Shot at Dwight Howard’s Claim of Being “Misguided” During NBA Days appeared first on EssentiallySports.