Dwight Howard Wants To Stay With Orlando Magic, 'Start Own Path'

Dwight Howard told the Orlando Sentinel on Monday that he wants to start his own path and his preference is to stay with the Orlando Magic.

In a one-on-one interview during a free barbecue for Magic fans, the all-star center talked about how he doesn't want to follow in Shaquille O'Neal's footsteps. O'Neal left Orlando and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers after the 1995-1996 season.

"I'm not trying to run behind nobody like Shaq or be behind somebody else," Howard said. "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."

Howard, who doesn't become a free agent until 2012, also said that he "can't do it alone" and he needs "the right teammates."

Earlier in May, Howard responded to speculation about his future by ripping the Orlando Sentinel for writing "dumb articles."

The Magic fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.

Comments

[Omentum]

10:51 PM on 06/05/2011

the big 4

Go Heat

[Hunter Venezio]

12:41 PM on 06/04/2011

dwight plz dont leave the orlando magic we love you, i love you....your my favorite player in the NBA.....it wont be the same without you dwight.

[blurredmolly]

05:27 PM on 06/01/2011

Boy, he would look great in a Bulls uni.

[Jazmo]

12:44 PM on 06/01/2011

The Magic have been trying to get him some help, it just hasn't worked out well yet this season. The mid season trades (I'm thinking "Mello and Arenas) didn't really have time to gel and there is a chance the Magic could be a better team next year. Howard had a tough season this year, but he continues to work hard and his skills improve yearly. They got knocked out of the playoffs so quickly and sorry to repeat this folks, but one player cannot do it alone. I hope he stays in Orlando and gets some assistance.

[farmilyman]

10:49 AM on 06/01/2011

Good. I don't like when players try to stack the deck to win a cheap championship.

[blurredmolly]

05:28 PM on 06/01/2011

Slapping at LeBron? There is a thread for that.

[gditty]

09:38 PM on 06/01/2011

But the only way he stays is that Orlando gets him help, and how can they accomplish that? By stacking the deck with more all-star players....How ironic? I guess Dwight wants a cheap championship....

Fans are so fickle.....

[DanoX]

02:51 AM on 06/01/2011

My Orlando Tragic will crush his mortal soul soon enough! MWUHAHAHAHA!

[Sad But True]

03:39 PM on 05/31/2011

Nice to see an anti-LeBron type of player. Good for him! I knew I liked the guy for a reason.

[independent32955-2]

04:21 PM on 05/31/2011

how is he anti-lebron?

lebron wanted what dwight wants, he didn't get it in cleveland. This is more about dwight telling the magic that they can keep him IF they make the right moves and get him a stronger supporting cast. See if Howard stays in Orlando if they screw him the way Lebron was screwed. Your comment is ridiculously naive.

[bsultan]

06:48 PM on 05/31/2011

Anti-LeBron? What are you talking about? He hasn't signed an extension, he's just saying he'd like to stay in Orlando. LeBron said the same thing until he actually became a free-agent, so let's just wait and see what happens.

Since Orlando doesn't have the resources to bring in another superstar, I don't see Orlando taking a chance with letting him become a free-agent and getting nothing in return, I expect he'll be traded.

[ArtMaggot]

02:25 PM on 05/31/2011

Sucker!

[Ellis Wyms]

01:41 PM on 05/31/2011

If he doesn't leave orlando to go to a contender or if orlando doesn't upgrade there roster then the miami heat may keep winning championships until they get board with them. All the teams in the west are getting older and 2 of the west's most talented player left for eastern conference teams when Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudimire changed teams. Nobody else has 2 top five players that are willing and able to sell out on both ends of the court like the heat. Dwight Howard cant beat the Heat with the roster they have now and that gilbert arenas deal may prove to be the deal that locks up there roster for along time. The rest of the magic roster looks like the previous knick rosters with a bunch of high paid but unproductive players. If i was him L.A. would be the team i want to get to. They would build the entire franchise around him and he could win a championship next year instead of hoping the magic revamp there roster and not waist his prime years with a sub par supporting cast.

[Iain Banks]

12:41 PM on 05/31/2011

Powerful words, congrats Dwight. In ten years when you're running play by plays with Barkley and Chris Webber you'll wonder if you should have pursued a ring.

[independent32955-2]

04:24 PM on 05/31/2011

it's not that, dwight was getting beaten up in the press in Orlando, for nothing really, just that they all assumed he was already gone. So, Howard comes out and says all the right things, "I want to stay, my path is here, blah blah", but in reality this is a not-so veiled threat to the orlando management staff that if they dont get him better players, he's gone.

I'm sure they got the msg, whether they do anything about it or not remains to be seen.

[comicpro]

12:40 PM on 05/31/2011

You sure are no Shaq Dwight! But he is good enough with the right mix to be a monster.

[leorangerie]

12:22 PM on 05/31/2011

Howard is contracted to Orlando for the 2011-12 season, so who cares about anything else. The landscape will be so change in a year's time. Just play ball.

[Bados]

12:34 AM on 06/01/2011

He cant right now, they are out of the playoffs. In the mean time I think he should feel free to open his mouth and speak as he chooses. :-)

[SFCity]

12:14 PM on 05/31/2011

Good for you Dwight! Not everybody wants to be a d@mn Laker!

[Taj Sandhu]

02:19 PM on 05/31/2011

Ain't that the truth. BEAT LA!

[SFCity]

12:30 PM on 06/01/2011

Fanned for that, yeah!

[chevyliddle]

11:43 AM on 05/31/2011

I'll throw a few more bucks in the pot if he'll come to Chicago. How many of those retirees watch BB anyway? They already have a team down there.

[skeet214]

11:53 AM on 05/31/2011

As a die hard Magic fan ...... we watch and I don't really like the "South" Florida team. Glad he is staying here where we love and adore him

[chevyliddle]

04:09 PM on 05/31/2011

Don't tell anyone but I'm a retiree too. We could really use him in Chicago next year and we only have one team. You can always root for the "southern" team?

[independent32955-2]

04:24 PM on 05/31/2011

he hasn't STAYED anywhere yet. Your wishful thinking is reading more into what he said than is truly there.