Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed to the media Thursday afternoon that Dwight Howard has asked team management to fire him. "I was told by people in our management," Van Gundy said, according to Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi. "Right from the top."

Howard himself made the situation more awkward when he crashed Van Gundy's media availability session and denied that he had indeed asked management to fire Van Gundy, not knowing that Van Gundy himself had confirmed as much just moments before. He asked the media to reveal their source.

"A few seconds later," reports Josh Robbins of the Sentinel, "Van Gundy asked reporters if he could go and then walked away."

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated reports that Van Gundy's public disclosure of details learned in private conversations does not necessarily mean the Magic will fire him immediately.

Incidentally, Orlando hosts the New York Knicks in a nationally televised matchup Thursday evening, looking to avoid the first five-game losing streak of Van Gundy's tenure.

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