Dwight Howard Says 'I Allowed too Much to Happen' During Magic Tenure

Longtime NBA center Dwight Howard regrets not speaking out against false narratives regarding his commitment and character while with the Orlando Magic.

Appearing on All The Smoke with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (beginning at the 31-minute mark), Howard discussed his time in Orlando and expressed his belief that he didn't do enough to shut down the negative perceptions that surrounded him:

Howard said he "allowed too much to happen" to the point that other teams within the NBA believed the stories that were in the media about him.

He also lamented the fact that he didn't get more time to help lead the Magic to a championship, saying:

"I just felt like the media was trying to put me against the team. I hurt my back that year and people on the team think that I'm not really hurt, that I'm out partying and doing other stuff. And I'm like, I ain't even that type of dude to be doing some s--t like that to my teammates. That ain't even me. So, it was just so much going on, and just looking back I'm like, I really should have just stepped up and said something."

Orlando made Howard the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft out of high school, and he went on to establish himself as one of the league's most dominant big men during his eight seasons with the Magic.

Howard earned six of his eight career All-Star selections in Orlando, plus he won four of his five rebounding titles, both of his block titles and all three of his NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.

He also led the Magic to the playoffs five times, including the NBA Finals in 2009, and averaged 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 621 regular-season games for the team.

Howard was traded from the Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, but his production never reached the same heights as in Orlando.

Even so, Howard went on to play 10 more seasons in the NBA with the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers, and he won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020.

Now, Howard is 36 years old and a free agent, and with the start of the 2022-23 NBA season approaching, it is possible he has played his last game.

Even with his time in Orlando ending under less-than-ideal circumstances, Howard had a spectacular NBA career that could land him in the Hall of Fame one day.