Dwight Howard said he hated being called the ‘cancer’ of a team

Dwight Howard is one of the most scrutinized players in the NBA due to his previous superstar status and his behavior on and off the court. His acrimonious separation with the Lakers is arguably the height of his infamy, especially since he bumped horns with Kobe Bryant on several occasions.

So it came as a massive surprise to both fans and analysts alike when news surfaced that Dwight Howard was actually being considered by the Lakers as a replacement for DeMarcus Cousins. Fast forward a few weeks later and the big man signed with the team.

So is Dwight Howard a good fit for a star-studded roster or will his antics actually hamper the Lakers’ desire to win the 2019-2020 Playoffs? Going by his recent statements, it appears that the 33-year-old is intent at proving his detractors wrong.

Dwight Howard said all the negativity really affected him

In fact, Dwight Howard doesn’t really like the narrative that has formed around his character through the years, specifically the ones accusing him of being a bad teammate. Howard sat down with Graham Bensinger last week and said that all of the negative things that were said about him, the one that really got under his skin are those accusing him of being a team “cancer.”

“The one thing that I really hated was just hearing people say I was a cancer in the locker room or I’m not good to have around teammates. It really affected me for a while,” Dwight Howard said. He went on to say that how could someone label him as such when he was given the Community Assist Award and Teammate of the Year Award during his NBA tenure?

Dwight Howard wants his actions to do the talking this time

Due to this negativity, Dwight Howard said this forced him to stay away from people since he felt that his character has already been judged despite most not even knowing who he really is. Now, the big man has a chance to redeem himself and discredit all the bad things that were thrown his way.

What’s more, he’s also poised to help the Lakers achieved their 24th title, something that the team has been chasing for a while now. Chucked into the spotlight once again, Dwight Howard is remaining quiet this time in terms of what he plans to bring to the team. When asked what he learned during the summer, the vet said he’d rather have his actions do the talking for him, L.A. Times reported.