Dwight Howard now plays for the Charlotte Hornets after an unexpected deal went through before the NBA draft.
As we noted, the Hornets gave up little in the way of assets to get Howard. The Atlanta Hawks didn’t just dump Howard—they did so in hilarious fashion while Howard himself hosted a Twitter chat with fans about NBA rumors.
Some around Howard aren’t happy, highlighted by his sister, Tashanda, as captured by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:
“I hear how people talk and the things they say, and I just don’t think that Atlanta is a loyal city. I really don’t,” Tashanda Howard said Tuesday night.
“I hate to hear all the negative calls talking about my brother and the things that have been going on with the Hawks.”
She took it a step further, even suggesting other free agents will remember what the Hawks did with her brother:
“He was one of the first big free agents to come here, and I think a lot of the free agents are going to look at that and see how they do their free-agency and they are not going to want to come to this city.”
The NBA is a business, fine. But there’s some truth here. Howard gave the Hawks a quality season after coming home to the city he prefers. The team is rebuilding and sent him to a rather good location based on his skill set and Charlotte’s needs, but the timing and short marriage might have future free agents wondering if Atlanta is the right fit.
Alas, it’s clear Howard will remain one of the most polarizing figures in sports no matter what anyone around him says or does.
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