Stan Van Gundy: Dwight Howard has asked Orlando Magic management to fire him

[CelticSooner]

I don't think Dwight Howard asked for SVG to be fired.

If he did, SVG would be gone already ... but SVG hasn't been fired. He is still there. No way Orlando would have refused to fire SVG if Dwight asked them to.

I expect that whoever in management told SVG that Dwight asked him to be fired is either misinterpreting comments made by Dwight Howard (perhaps accidentally or maybe even deliberately) or is playing politics behind the scenes.

Orlando is 3rd in East with the playoffs about to start. They aren't going to fire him right now. Once Orlando gets knocked out of the playoffs it shouldn't take long though.

edit: Orlando is now 5th in the standings my mistake.

[guava_wrench]

I don't think Dwight Howard asked for SVG to be fired.

If he did, SVG would be gone already ... but SVG hasn't been fired. He is still there. No way Orlando would have refused to fire SVG if Dwight asked them to.

I expect that whoever in management told SVG that Dwight asked him to be fired is either misinterpreting comments made by Dwight Howard (perhaps accidentally or maybe even deliberately) or is playing politics behind the scenes.

I disagree. They already have Howard under contract. At this point the best they can do to placate him is win, not follow his recommendations.

I'm not sure what to make of SVG's frankness. On one hand, it is nice to see the tables turned. On the other hand. How can the team function with such a bombshell out in the open. Do other players agree, or will this lead to division?

[European NBA fan]

I don't think Dwight Howard asked for SVG to be fired.

If he did, SVG would be gone already ... but SVG hasn't been fired. He is still there. No way Orlando would have refused to fire SVG if Dwight asked them to.

I expect that whoever in management told SVG that Dwight asked him to be fired is either misinterpreting comments made by Dwight Howard (perhaps accidentally or maybe even deliberately) or is playing politics behind the scenes.

The management probably told Dwight, that he could get whatever he wanted, if he signed an extension. So not firing SVG is actual leverage for them in the negotiations with Dwight.

[rondohondo]

@MagicInsider Magic player to me: "I know Dwight will be gone after next season."”

[FrDrake]

I absolutely believe the Howard has tried to get SVG fired and agree with posters who cite Howard's immaturity.  This is a BIG problem with the current generation of NBA stars.  Lebron, 'Melo, Paul, Howard...they want the sun and the moon and the stars.  

They want to control personnel decisions, choose their coaches, pick their employer, pick teammates, and most importantly they want to be global brands instead of basketball players...with huge endorsement deals in the US, China, and Europe.  If they win a championship along the way, it's basically a bonus....as long as they get paid.

Are any one of these acts taken on its own a crime?  Of course not.  But put them all together and guys like Howard come across as childish and out of touch with fans.  This type of attitude is what led Lebron to being from one of the most loved nba players to becoming one of the most reviled, all because of the Decision.  It could happen to Dwight too.

My dream is that players who I think do 'get it' like D. Rose, Durant, Rondo win the next 3-5 championships and freeze out the all-about-me generation of players like Howard during their prime.  

My definition of 'getting it' doesn't preclude a guy making a lot of money or taking the most shots.  It just means these guys (Rose and Durant in particular) TRY to listen to their coach, act like good teammates, and work to connect with fans.  They also clearly put in the extra time to win just like Kobe and KG did before them.  

Howard doesn't care about winning.  He wants the easy out just like Lebron did when he went to Miami and shrank from the challenge of staying in CLE or going to NYC.  Howard is doing the same thing...placing blame on others (SVG) and biding his time to go to Dallas where Cuban can pamper him even more.

[LooseCannon]

I absolutely believe the Howard has tried to get SVG fired and agree with posters who cite Howard's immaturity.  This is a BIG problem with the current generation of NBA stars.  Lebron, 'Melo, Paul, Howard...they want the sun and the moon and the stars.  

This is part of why I think the Celtics should consider looking to acquire some more mature stars in the 28-31 age range if the team is looking to get a star-level player.

[edwardjkasche]

I still want Dwight Howard. I'd take LeBron too. Something about them being among the top 2 or 3 players on the planet is just alluring.

He's not though.  He has proven that he cannot lead a team to a championship.  And, don't fire back with "the Magic haven't built a championship team around him" argument.  How would you build a team around Howard? 

He barely creates his own offense, cannot hit a shot outside of 5 feet, cannot hit free throws, and cannot touch the ball under 3 minutes left in the game (for fear the other team will foul him and send him to the line).  His defense is top-notch, but it should be because he rarely faces off against talented true centers.  He's often guarding glorified PFs. 

The only way to build around Dwight is to surround him with shooters and shot creators, which the Magic have tried to do.  Now, has Otis Smith brought in the best talent possible?  No.  But he's been hamstrung by the salary cap and Dwight's side-seat driving.  IT WAS DWIGHT WHO DEMANDED THAT BIG BABY BE BROUGHT IN.  How has that worked out???  The GM should have denied Dwight's request, but then Dwight probably wouldn't still be there wreaking havoc.

Also, and this is MOST IMPORTANT, Dwight doesn't have the makeup to be a team leader, yet he not only considers himself a team leader, but also a coach and a GM.  Dwight is petty, immature, thin-skinned, passive-aggressive, and... downright immature.  As talented as Dwight is, and as much as he is the face of the franchise, he IS NOT A TEAM LEADER and WILL NEVER BE THE BEST PLAYER ON A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.  He's a complimentary center, like so many centers before him.  He IS NOT Hakeem.  Hakeem was an offensive and defensive force who brought his best game every night and led his team by example.  Dwight does not do that.  {Robinson didn't win until Duncan arrive and Shaq won with Kobe and Wade.] 

Finally, Dwight's irresponsible media behavior over the past 12 months has hurt the team's psyche more than a non-athlete could ever know.  Having the self-proclaimed team captain complain every day, talk about wanting to play here or being open to playing there, and not standing behind his teammates and focusing on the current season, destroys a team more than most people could ever know.  He has single-handedly sabotaged this season for the Magic.

Now, you'd want that guy on the Celtics?

As for LeBron, you make me sick.  He may be a great player, but our team can win without him, thank you very much.  We don't need selfish guys like him leading this team.  This is the Celtics, baby!  LeBron doesn't belong.

[fairweatherfan]

I don't think Dwight Howard asked for SVG to be fired.

If he did, SVG would be gone already ... but SVG hasn't been fired. He is still there. No way Orlando would have refused to fire SVG if Dwight asked them to.

I expect that whoever in management told SVG that Dwight asked him to be fired is either misinterpreting comments made by Dwight Howard (perhaps accidentally or maybe even deliberately) or is playing politics behind the scenes.

Well, there's asking and then there's "asking".  Dwight may not have come out and directly told management he wanted SVG gone, but it's entirely possible Dwight's people could be getting the same message to them in somewhat subtler ways.

[Who]

Orlando are a weak organization with sub-standard ownership and management. There is no way they have suddenly grown a backbone and decided to stand up to Dwight Howard and refused to fire SVG.

Heck, they wouldn't even stand up to Penny Hardaway (when he forced Brian Hill out of town) or Tracy McGrady (trade demand) back in the day and both of those players were under contract for 3 more years when they kicked up a fuss ... and now they suddenly grow a spine and refuse to budge to Dwight Howard when he was due to be a free agent this summer? And then he opts into his contract after their stand? I don't buy it.

Their owner, Richie DeVos, has always been weak as an NBA owner. Otis Smith is weak and dying for an opportunity to pass the blame onto someone else to absolve himself. The new guy Alex Martins is desperately trying to be the hero; be the guy that convinced Dwight Howard to stay when others couldn't. Make himself valuable.

I suppose it's possible the new guy Alex Martins gave Orlando a backbone but that seems very unlikely to me given his mandate at CEO (to do whatever is necessary to keep Dwight Howard) + Richie DeVos history in appointing weak individuals in management throughout his tenure as owner.

I just don't see it ... if Dwight tried to get SVG fired, SVG would be fired.

I believe Stan Van Gundy is being misled by whoever he is talking to management.

[Marcus13]

Hilarious video where Dwight interupts the interview where Stan is explaining that Dwight tried to get him fired;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y08gvGpGCwA&feature=player_embedded

[SHAQATTACK]

SVG...gonna take the fall for slimey ol Otis Smith (don't trust him) ,  who will never have another job like he's got. SVG will go somewhere else and coach. and maybe forget about winning a title based on three point shooting.

[Who]

I have no problem with a player like Dwight Howard requesting or demanding that his team fire his coach. If he doesn't believe his coach is good enough to lead that team to a title, it is absolutely his place to demand a change.

Not doing so is weakness. As a competitor, as a Champion. Competitive weakness. 

A player like Dwight Howard's chief priority should be to win the title and if he has to upset some people to do that ... then it's his obligation to do so. It's his obligation to the fans, his duty, to what is necessary to win. Niceties be [dang]ed.

And if that player is unwilling to do so, then that player is just as much part of the problem as the sub-standard personnel he is unwilling to stand up against.

[Kane3387]

I have no problem with a player like Dwight Howard requesting or demanding that his team fire his coach. If he doesn't believe his coach is good enough to lead that team to a title, it is absolutely his place to demand a change.

Not doing so is weakness. As a competitor, as a Champion. Competitive weakness. 

A player like Dwight Howard's chief priority should be to win the title and if he has to upset some people to do that ... then it's his obligation to do so. It's his obligation to the fans, his duty, to what is necessary to win. Niceties be [dang]ed.

And if that player is unwilling to do so, then that player is just as much part of the problem as the sub-standard personnel he is unwilling to stand up against.

Didn't Pierce want Doc Fired?

[LooseCannon]

I have no problem with a player like Dwight Howard requesting or demanding that his team fire his coach. If he doesn't believe his coach is good enough to lead that team to a title, it is absolutely his place to demand a change.

It may be his place to demand a bad coach be fired, but I think Stan Van Gundy has done a good enough job so that if Dwight Howard wants a coaching change, it is reasonable to question Howard's judgment.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Hilarious video where Dwight interupts the interview where Stan is explaining that Dwight tried to get him fired;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y08gvGpGCwA&feature=player_embedded

I believe Howard asked... listen to what he says after they ask him what SVG said... he doesn't say no AFTER they said SVG said it. He's like, who said I said it... that's how you respond when you are in an argument but you are lying, like, if you can't tell me specifically who said it then you can't prove I'm lying... like "prove it, prove it!" LOL pure liar speak...


SVG isn't lying, listen to the stuff he said and his body language, calm and assertive... he said he hates the BS of people lying about saying it (he's calling DH out). Then what he does when DH puts his arm around him... he is uncomfortable as heck and he quickly tries to leave and he didn't look DH in the eye... you can tell there is tension but he isn't putting up with the "fakeness" of DH.