In an interview with Sam Amick of USA Today, Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard apologized to Orlando Magic fans for his conduct in his final months with the team.
"In Orlando, I handled a lot of stuff the wrong way," Howard told Amick. "If any of those people in Orlando are upset with how I did it, I apologize for the way I handled it and the way it was handled in the media."
Howard said he was too focused on "trying to please everybody else," and that he should have let his teammates and coach Stan Van Gundy know about the latest developments in the drama that became known as the Dwightmare.
"Orlando was it," Howard said. "I did not want to leave all that behind — the city, just everything about it. The fans. But I wanted a change for my life. I just felt like there was something else out there for me"
Howard's reputation took such a large hit as a result of the Dwightmare that Amick says he lost his sponsorship deals with Gatorade and McDonald's. But he landed in Los Angeles, which Amick says is "more than big enough to match his big dreams."
Howard plays at Amway Center on Tuesday for the first time since Orlando dealt him to L.A., with which team he may or may not re-sign after the season. He's sure to hear boos Tuesday night, and every night he plays at Amway Center for as long as he's in the league.
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