After pulling the trigger on the blockbuster trade to acquire superstar center Dwight Howard, the consensus was that the team had brought in the future face of the franchise in the twilight of the Kobe Bryant era.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the front office was unable to convince Dwight to stay in Los Angeles and the perennial All-Star’s reasoning is because he simply wanted to win via CSNHouston.com:
“The biggest part was leaving a storied franchise and also leaving a lot of money on the table, but in order to win you’ve got to sacrifice something. It would have been great to have that stuff, the money and all that stuff, but I want to win.”
Although Dwight is in an ideal position in Houston playing alongside James Harden, the fact that the veteran center would willingly leave the Lakers, a storied franchise known for winning championships, is a bit puzzling.
Dwight clearly struggled to fit in during his time in Los Angeles. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year faced a level of scrutiny, pressure and backlash from the fans he had yet to experience in his career. Many believe that is what ultimately led to his departure, but he still maintains it was for a better chance to win.
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