Dwight Howard insists he never hated Orlando.: Despite the public fallout of the "Dwightmare" trade saga in 2012, Howard says he loved the city and never wanted to leave — he simply couldn't pass up the chance to play alongside Kobe Bryant and form a superteam with the Los Angeles Lakers.\n\n- **The Lakers superteam fell apart due to injuries and friction.** Howard entered the 2012 season recovering from herniated-disk surgery, Steve Nash was hampered by injuries at age 38, and Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles from carrying the workload. Personality clashes between Howard and Bryant further doomed the experiment.\n\n- **Howard ultimately won it all in poetic fashion.** After bouncing around the league, he returned to the Lakers in 2019 as a veteran role player alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, winning the 2020 NBA championship in the Orlando bubble — the very city where his career began.\n\n- **Howard's ultimate starting five with former teammates includes LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Jameer Nelson, and himself.** He boldly claimed this lineup would lose no more than five games in a full season.\n\n**Why this matters:** These insights reveal how perception vs. reality shaped Howard's legacy. Fans who once viewed him as disloyal to Orlando may now see a player caught between professional ambition and personal attachment — a conflict many athletes face.
When Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, it was one of the most dramatic player movements in NBA history. The public saga — later dubbed the "Dwightmare" — made it appear that Howard had soured on Orlando entirely. In reality, Howard explains, he loved the city and the organization; he simply recognized that the Lakers offered a much better chance at winning a championship.
"I don't regret it. It was a tough decision, but I do regret how everything turned out with myself, the organization and the fans," Howard said. "'Cause it really made it seem like I hated Orlando and I hated the city, and it was the total opposite."
The trade paired Howard with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Pau Gasol — a quartet that many expected to dominate the league for years. However, the superteam never materialized. Howard's herniated-disk surgery limited his explosiveness, Nash struggled with injuries at age 38, and Bryant tore his Achilles after carrying an outsized workload. Personality clashes between Howard and Bryant, who had famously different approaches to the game, added fuel to the fire. The Lakers were swept in the first round of the playoffs, and Howard left for the Houston Rockets after just one season.
Howard's career took a winding path through multiple teams before he returned to the Lakers in 2019. This time, the circumstances were entirely different. No longer expected to be the franchise star, Howard embraced a veteran role behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. His contributions off the bench and veteran leadership helped the Lakers capture the 2020 championship — fittingly, in the Orlando bubble.
"It didn't work out how I wanted to, but at the end of the day, I got a chance to win a championship with the Lakers in Orlando," Howard stated. "I got a chance to play in the NBA for over two decades."
Howard retired as an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer (inducted in 2025).
In a separate interview with Complex, Howard was asked to build a starting lineup using only former teammates. His picks:
Point Guard:: Jameer Nelson — Howard's teammate with the Magic who made one All-Star appearance and helped lead Orlando to the 2009 NBA Finals.
Shooting Guard:: Kobe Bryant — Five-time NBA champion, MVP, and arguably the greatest scorer of his era.
Small Forward:: LeBron James — Four-time champion, four-time MVP, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Power Forward:: Pau Gasol — Two-time champion, six-time All-Star, and one of the most skilled big men of his generation.
Center:: Dwight Howard — Three-time DPOY, five-time rebounding leader, and 2020 NBA champion.
When asked how many games this lineup would win in a season, Howard didn't hesitate: "Oh, we over. Yeah, we ain't losing, man. Me and Pau in the paint." He predicted they'd lose at most five games, going 77-5 or better. While Jameer Nelson is statistically the weakest link, Howard wanted to honor his Magic roots by including a former Orlando teammate.
Why did Dwight Howard leave the Orlando Magic?
Howard requested a trade in 2012 primarily because the Lakers offered a much better chance to win a championship. He was paired with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Pau Gasol in what was expected to be a dominant superteam.
Did Dwight Howard actually hate Orlando?
No. Howard has repeatedly stated that he loved Orlando and never wanted to leave. He regrets that the public trade saga made it seem otherwise.
Did Dwight Howard ever win an NBA championship?
Yes. Howard won his first and only NBA championship in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers, defeating the Miami Heat in the Orlando bubble.
Who did Dwight Howard pick in his all-time starting five?
He selected Jameer Nelson (PG), Kobe Bryant (SG), LeBron James (SF), Pau Gasol (PF), and himself (C).
How many losses did Dwight Howard predict for his dream starting five?
Howard predicted they would lose no more than five games in a full 82-game season.
Is Dwight Howard in the Hall of Fame?
Yes, Howard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025 on the first ballot.
Perception isn't always reality.: Howard's story is a reminder that public narratives around athlete moves are often oversimplified. Fans and analysts should consider the full context before judging a player's decisions.\n\n- **Redemption is possible.** Howard's career arc — from being labeled a disappointment after the Lakers superteam collapsed to winning a championship in a veteran role — shows that careers can be redefined at any stage.\n\n- **Team chemistry matters more than star power.** The 2012 Lakers superteam failed not due to lack of talent but because of injuries and personality clashes. The 2020 Lakers succeeded because players embraced defined roles.\n\n- **Loyalty and ambition can coexist.** Howard's love for Orlando never wavered, even as he pursued championship opportunities elsewhere. Athletes don't have to choose between loyalty to a city and the desire to win.
Do you think Dwight Howard's legacy would be viewed differently if the 2012 Lakers superteam had worked out? And how many games do you think his dream starting five of LeBron, Kobe, Gasol, Nelson, and himself would actually win in today's NBA?
Share this with other NBA fans who appreciate the full story behind the "Dwightmare" and Howard's incredible journey to a championship!
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