Dwight Howard issued several intriguing requests to the L.A. Lakers during free agency. According to reports by ESPN, Howard would only resign with the Lakers if they followed his demands.
The center told Lakers VP, Jim Buss, that he would only resign if the team amnestied Kobe Bryant and fired coach Mike D’Antoni. For those unfamiliar with the NBA’s amnesty clause, it allows teams to cut one player and get rid of his salary without it taking a hit on the team’s salary cap.
Howard was never fond of Bryant and did not want to play another two years with him. Bryant often chastised Howard for his lack of work ethic and unwillingness to take the game serious. Although Howard visited Bryant after his season-ending injury, it was always apparent that the two would never see eye-to-eye on the basketball court.
Howard also had reasons to hate D’Antoni. His offense suffered under D’Antoni’s guard oriented offense. Howard eventually signed with the Houston Rockets.
