Over the last couple of years, Dwight Howard became one of Orlando Magic’s more emblematic players. He led the team to the NBA finals just three years ago and made the team a strong contender for the title for years and winning three Defensive Player of the Year while playing with the team are just some of the credits he can add to his cv.
However, with last year’s poor season he was right on his decision of leaving the team. It has been rumored that both Howard and Jameer Nelson weren’t comfortable working with Smith, and were working against the tide to make it back to finals again.
Under those circumstances, it was understandable that Howard wanted to leave the team. With the Magic’s failing him to sign good players and compile a roster that was a real contender for the NBA title. However, it was not the act of leaving but how he did it what really upset Orlando’s fans. Having head coach Stan Van Gundy fired was the move the team made to make him stayed, however that didn’t seem enough to Howard who continued to ask to be traded even after a new coach was placed, angering the fans even further.
Howard finally got what he wanted and he just signed to take court next season with Los Angeles Lakers, a team he considered more appropriate for his desires of finally winning a title. Now, nearly a month after he was dealt to Los Angeles, he posted a full page advertisement in the Orlando Sentinel, thanking his fans for the love and support they gave him during his 8 years stay on the team.
Including phrases such as “Words cannot express the love that I have for Orlando. With your support we have done great things in this city from hanging banners to impacting our youth.” And “Although my career with the Magic has come to a close, my love for the city and the people that make it beautiful will never end” the player was hoping for a reciprocal answer. However, that has not been the case. Both Orlando fans and team are yet to talk about the now infamous ad, and the fan’s response on their blog has not been positive at all.
