Dwight Howard says Deron Williams can hate him for deciding to join the Los Angeles Lakers – NBA News
Dwight Howard and Deron Williams were very good friends and talked about teaming up one day. Williams is a pass first point guard who thrives in a pick and roll environment. Howard is a typical pick and roll player who can dominate
the paint area all day long. Together, they both knew that they would be good together, and also agreed that pairing up was the only way to win an NBA championship in an era of super teams started by the Boston Celtics and carried forward by the Miami Heat.
However, Howard made a few mistakes in his final year of contract with the Orlando Magic, signing on for the final year option. Hence, Howard could not sign with the Brooklyn Nets, who were the New Jersey Nets at the time. When
the Nets decided to go on a roster restructuring in the offseason, they attempted a trade with the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard, but the Magic were not willing to take in Brook Lopez. Frustrated with the Magic management and afraid that they might lose
out on Lopez as he was nearing free agency as well, the Nets re-signed Lopez and decided to get Joe Johnson instead. The idea of a super team with Howard and Williams fell to the ground, and Williams was not too happy about it.
Howard has recently come out in defence of his decision, and has also taken a shot at Williams for being mad at him for his decision.
“That’s my decision. It’s my life so if he’s upset because I made a decision for me, so be it. If he doesn’t want to be friends because I’m on another team, then so be it. There’s no need to smooth things over, you know,” said
Howard according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Howard was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he is teaming up with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol this season. Not only does Howard have a real chance of being in a championship contending team over the
next two seasons, he is also the long term franchise player of a franchise like the Lakers as they look beyond the Kobe Bryant era. And given the historical importance of the Lakers franchise and that Los Angeles is a big market, who would not want to be the
franchise player of the Lakers. Things worked out well for Howard in the end, much better than what it would have been had he been traded to the Nets
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