After news recently surfaced that new Laker Dwight Howard had skipped out on a scheduled appearance at a basketball camp in Orlando, many saw it as another shot to the city he held hostage for an entire NBA season.
Now, in an attempt to reportedly show his gratitude towards Orlando and the Magic fans, Howard has taken out a full-page ad in the Orlando Sentinel according to Sporting News.
“To play the game of basketball in the NBA is a blessing and to have had the opportunity to play before the Orlando fans for eight years was truly a privilege and an honor,” Howard, who was traded from the Magic to the L.A. Lakers last month, says in the ad.
Fans in Orlando may not want to hear Howard’s thoughts on playing in Orlando after he demanded a trade out of Orlando and ultimately landed in Los Angeles.
Howard went on to express how much he enjoyed his time in Orlando, and stated that the city will forever hold a special place in his heart.
“Words cannot express the love that I have for Orlando,” he adds. “With your support we have done great things in this city from hanging banners to impacting our youth.
“Although my career with the Magic has come to a close, my love for the city and the people that make it beautiful will never end.”
It’s probably a safe assumption that fans won’t be too concerned about the ad when they think of Dwight Howard abandoning Orlando for the hated L.A. Lakers, the same team who defeated them in the NBA Finals back in 2009.
While Howard’s goal was probably to repair some of the damage done to the relationship between him and the fans, something tells me he won’t be invited to any backyard barbeques in Orlando anytime soon.
