I think we all want to forget about Dwight Howard with the Lakers. It was a top-notch failed experiment and an embarrassment to the Lakers organization. Actually, the 2012 year for the Lakers should be forgotten…
Sadly, that year has been brought up for interview purposes with Laker legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and one of the questions directed to him, by LakerNation, was about Howard’s stint with the Lakers and the absence of Abdul-Jabbar training him and Andrew Bynum. Here’s what he had to say,
“Well, Dwight Howard didn’t want to do any work,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “Andrew Bynum did not want to do a lot of work, but Andrew was kind of getting the hang of it. I don’t think Andrew was that interested in playing basketball. …
“Dwight Howard, I’m not going to say anything about him because I really don’t understand what his thing was.”
When Howard caught wind of the answer, he responded with some information that would raise some eyebrows…
“Dude, don’t lie to these people about me not wanting to work with him. Before you make a story, get all your facts straight before lying to people. Why wouldn’t I wanna work with dude. He’s one of the best all time. Dude know the truth. The team didn’t even want him in the practice facility.”
Didn’t want him in the facility? Are we missing something here? But that wasn’t it, The reporter on the story, Ryan Ward, replied that the words weren’t his but Abdul-Jabbar. Howard still wasn’t having it,
“I know it’s his words. But you could have checked both sources before reporting it. I understand your [sic] doing your job. Dude don’t have to lie tho. As soon as I was traded to Lakers [the] first person I sat with was dude. Wanting to work out. Go look back at my post. I posted a pic with him and myself at a hotel. But if a team says stay away I did what [I] was asked.”
The picture Howard is referring to:
Me and @kaj33 together. For many years to come. pic.twitter.com/YR9ACNdH
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) September 3, 2012
Well… I don’t think anyone would’ve predicted all of these details to come out. Why didn’t the Lakers want Abdul-Jabbar in the facility? Have the fans/public been sold the facade of mutual love between the two parties or is Howard lying? Either way, Howard only lasted a year in LA; Easily the best decision the Lakers and Howard ever came to.
