Dwight Howard, who forced his way out of Orlando after more than a season of discontent, then wanted out of Los Angeles after a single season, is stirring up more controversy.
The Houston Rockets center is crying foul that the Orlando Magic hasn't retired his No. 12 jersey.
"I just think that despite whatever happened, there was a lot of things that I did and that we did as a team, and that number was special down there," Howard told the Orlando-Sentinel. "And I was a little bit upset about that."
The subject came up after Magic forward Tobias Harris requested No. 12 to honor a close friend of his that passed away of leukemia as a teenager. It's unknown whether Howard is aware of Harris' reasoning for wanting to don the number 12. Last year after being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks, Harris averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a night for Orlando.
"There were some things that I missed about Orlando," Howard said. "There's a lot of situations that nobody really knows that I kept on the inside, but there's some things about Orlando that I missed. But I have no regrets. I'm happy everything happened the way it happened. Even though I got hurt in the process and I had to go through a tough time, it made me a better person. I'm more mature now. I know how to handle situations different than I did back then."
Howard was criticized for a reluctance to play through injuries as a Laker, and was derided for his immaturity. Openly pining for his number to be retired by an organization whose hand he forced in dealing him will surely do little for his public perception.
"Everybody's saying I was a 'coward' for leaving [the Lakers], and I knew I was going to get that," Howard told the paper. "But I think with the situation I had to do what was best for Dwight."
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