Tweet
It's the biggest question about the biggest guy in Orlando's lineup: Will Dwight Howard re-sign with the Magic or continue his quest for an NBA title elsewhere?
In an interview with Esquire magazine, the Magic center, who becomes a free agent next summer, said he feels "stuck in a tough position" between his love for Orlando, where he has played his entire career, and his desire to play in a larger market.
"There's more you can do in a bigger place. I'm stuck in a tough position because I feel like right now, where I'm at, I've done so much. And I just don't know what else I can do. I can't live for everybody else," Howard told the magazine.
"I don't know what decision I'm gonna make as of right now. ... Everybody wants me to come here, come play here, come to our team, do this. It's a great feeling, though, to be wanted, " Howard told Esquire.
But at the same time, Howard knows how much Magic fans want him to stay.
"The toughest part for me is the city -- the people," Howard told Esquire. "They've got burgers named after me in Orlando, they've got a Web site saying, 'Please stay.' I love the people in the city. I've literally sat on the bench with a towel on my head crying, because I feel the passion in the stands.
"I just think about what's going to be best for what I want to accomplish in my life. And I don't want that door to close on me, wherever that door is."
When asked about Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, Howard said that he likes him as a person, but has had difficulty with his coaching style.
"The only thing I had a real problem with was the way [Van Gundy] coached," Howard told the magazine. 'It was very tough with Stan, because he yelled a lot, and I don't want to be that guy to yell at my teammates along with my coach. Because they're going to turn it all off. I had to find different ways to motivate my team. Sometimes when you have so much negativity, it's really hard to be positive."
Source: AP
In an interview with Esquire magazine, the Magic center, who becomes a free agent next summer, said he feels "stuck in a tough position" between his love for Orlando, where he has played his entire career, and his desire to play in a larger market.
"There's more you can do in a bigger place. I'm stuck in a tough position because I feel like right now, where I'm at, I've done so much. And I just don't know what else I can do. I can't live for everybody else," Howard told the magazine.
"I don't know what decision I'm gonna make as of right now. ... Everybody wants me to come here, come play here, come to our team, do this. It's a great feeling, though, to be wanted, " Howard told Esquire.
But at the same time, Howard knows how much Magic fans want him to stay.
"The toughest part for me is the city -- the people," Howard told Esquire. "They've got burgers named after me in Orlando, they've got a Web site saying, 'Please stay.' I love the people in the city. I've literally sat on the bench with a towel on my head crying, because I feel the passion in the stands.
"I just think about what's going to be best for what I want to accomplish in my life. And I don't want that door to close on me, wherever that door is."
When asked about Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, Howard said that he likes him as a person, but has had difficulty with his coaching style.
"The only thing I had a real problem with was the way [Van Gundy] coached," Howard told the magazine. 'It was very tough with Stan, because he yelled a lot, and I don't want to be that guy to yell at my teammates along with my coach. Because they're going to turn it all off. I had to find different ways to motivate my team. Sometimes when you have so much negativity, it's really hard to be positive."
Source: AP