Howard is bracing himself for the verbal blows that will undoubtedly rain down on him Wednesday night, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. After the Rockets practiced at UCLA on Tuesday, Howard said:
I'm going to get a lot of boos.I know I'm going to hear it the whole game -- 'Coward,' whatever. There's not anything I can do about it. Just go out there and play.
Thank God, this year I've been through it a lot in every city. There's Lakers fans everywhere. So I think I'm a little bit prepared for it.
Howard, of course, spent a single season with the Lakers after forcing his way out of Orlando. Last summer, he left $30 million on the table by taking Houston's max offer instead of Los Angeles'.
Dwight's decision may have taken Lakers fans by surprise—once the franchise nails down their star via free agency or trade, very seldom do those players seek an escape route. Especially after just a single, largely unsuccessful year.
In 2012-13, with the purple and gold, Howard suffered through his worst season since his inaugural NBA years. Battling through back and shoulder issues all season long, hopeful fans—initially enamored by the star-studded starting lineup of Howard, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol—were left with nothing at season's end.
He averaged his worst points total since he was 20 years old and, despite leading the NBA with 12.4 rebounds a night, it was his worst season average since 2006-07. The 49.2 free-throw percentage was just a shade off a career-worst, too.
On top of the physical ailments, there was a constant struggle to fit i...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
