Move over LeBron, There’s a New Bad Guy in Town

Dwight Howard Flying his way out of Orlando

We all remember the televised “Decision” a few summers ago. After LeBron James announced that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach,” instead of staying at home with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he became the most hated player in the NBA. For a while, he tried to embrace the villian role, but that was not a part of his personality. Two seasons removed from “the Decision,” the hate for LeBron has subsided. It also helps that someone else might have replaced him as the most hated player in the league.

One thing that you can say about LeBron, no matter how much you hate him, is that he never held the Cavs hostage. People would not have been upset with him if he did not have an entire show surrounding his free agent decision. He was a free agent after all and played out his entire contract with the Cavs, never once demanding a trade. The same cannot be said for Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard.

For two years now, Dwight has demanded that the Magic trade him. With his contract ending after the 2013 NBA season, the only team he said he would sign an extension for if he was traded where the Brooklyn Nets. This greatly limits the trade options for the Magic, as they do not want to lose Howard for nothing as they did with Shaquille O’Neal. Because of Howard’s refusal to sign with any team other than the Nets has greatly limited the options for the Magic, and greatly reduces the potential return that they could get.

Before the trade deadline this past season, Howard tried to force his way out of Orlando, but the Nets could not work out a suitable trade, and no other team was willing to do so. Then, Dwight accepted this and told his team that he would play out the remainder of his contract. He flipped his decision once again and has been requesting a trade since Orlando’s season was over.

The Howard story has been going on for too long. For a guy that wants to be liked, and the supposedly wants to win, he is doing everything he can to get on everyone’s bad side. Handcuffing the team he was drafted by the way he has cannot have a positive impact. He is a great player and will drastically improve any team he goes to, but his image around the league has been tarnished the past two years. It would be even worse if the allegations that he had forced the Magic to fire Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith in order to be able to secure him long term.

LeBron might have enjoyed the type of recruiting from teams that high school football and basketball are afforded from college teams, but he did it after he was a free agent. Howard on the other hand is forcing the Magic to make a trade that might not be in their best interest. Howard definitely replaces LeBron as the most hated player in the NBA.

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