It felt surreal last night seeing Dwight Howard going against his old team - the Orlando Magic. Howard, as we all know, is now with the Los Angeles Lakers - the Kobe Bryant-led team he lost to in the 2009 Finals when he was still with the Magic. Howard had previously left a bittersweet and sour relationship with the Magic during most of the offseason demanding a trade despite saying earlier he was to stay with them for one more season. Fast forward to now. Howard only knows five of the players from the Magic while everyone is new including the coach and general manager. But even that in itself doesn't do much of friendly exchanges. Both the Magic and newly-anointed Laker, Howard, are moving on. And so it had came to this: the Magic won and they're a team that plays with all heart even with lesser-known names on the roster. To add insult to Howard, they purposely fouled him in the closing minutes because the Magic know he's not good with free throws and sucks at it (stats don't lie). I couldn't be so proud of the Magic as they showed that teamwork is the key to winning although there are some losses expected to this latest roster of guys that are still getting to know each other...As far as Howard goes, he is a Laker and loves L.A. That's his home now. Orlando is all but a memory in his past, even to the throngs of fans including the inner city kids in his basketball camp he coldly left behind no-showing last summer. When he and the Lakers visit Orlando, I don't expect warm reception for him. How he treated that city and organization last offseason will pretty much solidify what he really is now to them. On March of next year in the Amway Center, he will see just that.....And so the next chapter awaits
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