Sixers' Dwight Howard is Happy to Have Philly Fans Behind Him

Dwight Howard knows what it's like to play in front of Sixers fans as an opponent. Now, he will be happy to have them on his side.

Philadelphia 76ers veteran center Dwight Howard has seen every NBA fan base in action. Being in the league since 2004, the big man is quite familiar with how fans from certain cities are when playing against them.

As we know, Philly fans have a reputation for being intense. There's a reason why the Sixers were so successful when playing at home just a season ago. Throughout his 16-year career in the NBA, Dwight Howard has been cheered against by Philly fans.

This year, though, he's excited to be on the other side of things. “I remember we played the 76ers in the playoffs a while back while I was in Orlando," Howard said, as he recalled the 2009 NBA Playoffs. 

"The energy from the city was crazy,” he continued. "I was like ‘man, I wonder what it would feel like to play on the other side,’ but man, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed Philadelphia.” This season, Howard will finally find out what's it like. Well, he'll partially get to find out.

Unfortunately for Howard, he won't get the full Philadelphia experience. As the COVID-19 pandemic will likely keep fans out of the stands for a while, there's a very slim chance he will get to play in a Sixers uniform in front of a typical sold-out crowd at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly.

Despite the major difference this season, Howard is still excited to have Sixers fans on his side no matter what this year. "It’s crazy that I’m in Philly,” Howard said. "I didn’t know that my journey after being in the NBA for so long and seeing the fan base from the visitor side, I’m just so excited to see it from the home side, to have the Philly fans behind me and the team. I’m really looking forward to that moment.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_