Dwight Howard Reveals Why He Joined Rockets in 2013
When 27-year-old center Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2012, the NBA community assumed that he, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and more seasoned veterans would win the NBA Finals.
However, injuries to Nash and Pau Gasol, combined with the Lakers' inability to mesh with each other, caused them to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Howard's deal in the trade was only for one year, so he decided to become a free agent instead of giving the Lakers another chance.
Just a few cities East, Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden was thriving in his first year as the team's primary star, averaging 25.9 points per game at 23-years-old. Harden was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Rockets earlier that season.
Harden was the sixth-man for the Thunder from 2009-2012 and was a member of one of the best trios of the decade with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.
Howard decided to sign with the Rockets in the summer of 2013, because he thought Harden was special.
"When I saw James Harden, I looked at him like a younger version of Kobe [Bryant]," Howard revealed during Matt Hoffa's My Expert Opinion. "I was thinking at the time that me and James could be like a new version of Kobe and [Shaquille O'Neal] because he's the young two-guard that's coming up in the league and I'm the older center that's been dominating. So I'm like, man, maybe we got a chance."
The duo paired very well over their first two regular seasons together as the Rockets won over 50 games both years. However, they were first round exits in 2014 and lost in five games in the Western Conference finals in 2015.
Year three together was the worst as they finished with a 41-41 record. Sensing he was wrong about the Kobe and Shaq potential, Howard declared for free agency in 2016 and moved on to the Atlanta Hawks.
Howard explained that he regretted his decision to leave Los Angeles back in 2013.
"I think that the Lakers decision was solely based on I felt like me and James was going to be better at that time," Howard said. "Looking back on it, if I would've sat down and really thought about my decisions without being in my emotions, I probably would've stayed in L.A. at that time."
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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