Dwight Howard reiterates his commitment with Orlando Magic - NBA Update
Orlando Magic’s superstar Dwight Howard has assured his fans that he is not planning on leaving the franchise and instead wants to stay with the Magic for a long time. Ever since Magic crashed out in the first round of the playoffs
against the Atlanta Hawks, there have been rumours that Howard might be interested in taking his talents to some other place.
Howard’s situation has specifically come into the spotlight after the retirement of the all time NBA great centre Shaquille O’ Neal. Both of them started their careers at Orlando and at present Howard is facing the same problem
that O’ Neal faced in his last days at the south beach franchise. Howard has been carrying the whole team on his broad shoulders for quite some time now and needs somebody to share the burden. Considering the likeliness in the style of play and impact of these
two players in their respective eras, the vibe has been that Howard might follow the same path that O’Neal followed – the path to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Howard has however rubbished all such rumours and said that he does not want to go anywhere else and sees himself with Orlando Magic for many years to come.
“I want to start my own path and I want people to follow my path and not just follow somebody else's path. I want to have my own path, and I want to start that here in Orlando. But I can't do it alone. Not only do I need the right
teammates, but I need the city behind me. That's the only way it's going to get done. We can change this small city that we have — this small market that we have — and we can make it a big market. As of right now, I'm a part of the Orlando Magic and I plan
to be here.”
Dwight Howard’s manager also came out in the media recently and denied all stories regarding Howard’s departure. Many people have been linking the intimidating centre with the Los Angeles Lakers off late. The Lakers need a rock
in their centre court and Howard needs a supporting cast and title hungry outfit. With the likes of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest in the Lakers’ camp and a championship legacy to go with it, Howard will have his hands full if he lands in Los Angeles.
Howard’s own denial and that of his manger has given the situation a new twist though.
However, it is a fact that Howard is yet to sign a new contract with Orlando Magic. The franchise has already offered him a two year, 44-million-dollars contract but the superstar has not signed it yet. The league has given all
the franchises a July 1 deadline in this regard.
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