Dwight Howard is currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and he's been having himself a nice season. After years of falling off, Howard is back to playing at a high level, even if he's more of a role player than anything else. Howard's play is in stark contrast with how things went down with the Los Angeles Lakers almost ten years ago. Howard played well under his potential while in Los Angeles and eventually left the team in free agency back in 2013.
During a recent conference, Lakers part-owner Jeanie Buss spoke about Howard's resurgence with the Lakers and even took some shots at Mike D'Antoni, saying the Houston Rockets head coach didn't know how to utilize Howard properly. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Howard replied to these remarks but opted to steer clear of any controversy.
Howard explained how he actually loves D'Antoni and that the system just simply didn't work the way he intended it to. Howard knows he could have played better and has nothing but respect for his former coach. He even said that he didn't want to speak ill of anyone although he thanks Buss for defending his honor.
Howard has matured quite a bit since 2013 which is something that truly came out in these comments. It's nice to see Howard thriving in Los Angeles, late in his career.
Jeanie Buss Disses Mike D’Antoni Over Dwight Howard Fiasco
Jeanie Buss had some harsh words for the former coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dwight Howard joined the Los Angeles Lakers early last decade and people thought it would turn the squad into a super team that could rival the likes of the Miami Heat. Instead, the Howard experiment turned out to be a bit of a disaster and he left the team after just a short time. Now, Howard is back on the Lakers and is seeing a bit of a resurgence. He's been a huge contributor on a Lakers team that is first in the Western Conference and is expected to make a huge push for a championship.
During a recent conference, Lakers part-owner Jeanie Buss spoke about Howard's first stint in Los Angeles and was quite adamant that it was a coaching issue that kept him from reaching his full potential. For those who forgot, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni was leading the team at the time.
“We hired a coach that didn’t respect his game and wasn’t going to put him in a position to succeed," Buss said. Clearly, she wasn't happy with D'Antonio's tenure although we can't blame her. The D'Antonio Lakers aren't looked upon fondly by Lakers fans and supporters would probably rather forget that era.
Regardless, you can't help but feel happy for Howard as he excels with the Lakers in his second stint in LA.
Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss Breaks Silence On Kobe Bryant’s Death
“My father loved you like a son, which makes us family” – Jeanie Buss
Like the rest of the world, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is still mourning the loss of Kobe Bryant. Jeanie has known Kobe ever since her father (Jerry Buss) signed him as a rookie back in 1996 and they had remained extremely close ever since.
Following Vanessa Bryant’s tribute last night, Jeanie finally broke her silence today after having a few days to gather her thoughts. The Lakers owner took to Instagram to express her love and gratitude for Kobe, saying he was like “family” to her.
“Kobe, I don’t know how to express what you mean to me, my family and the Los Angeles Lakers,” Buss wrote … “My father loved you like a son, which makes us family.”
She continued, “Kobe, you brought Gianna with you to spend some time with me. You explained that you wanted to show her that women can be leaders in the NBA, just like the men. At first, it seemed like an action of a devoted father setting an example for his daughter. But in actuality — and I am positively sure you knew EXACTLY what you were doing — what you did was give me the inspiration and strength I was searching for. I reflect on that day often and it makes me smile and it makes me strong.”
After sharing her love for Vanessa and the girls, Jeanie then went on to pay respect to the other victims in the crash, saying the whole Laker family is mourning with them. “To the families that also lost loved ones on Sunday, the entire Laker family mourns with you. Laker Nation – we are one family grieving the loss of people we all loved dearly. We will mourn together, cry together but we will also heal together, love together and win TOGETHER. We love you.”
Read Jeannie’s full tribute (below).
