Dwight was drafted in 2004 as the number one overall pick. The team had just come off one of the worst seasons in team history. Us Magic fans had just gotten over a nasty break up with Tracy McGrady who was fed up with management and wanted out. The pick of Dwight Howard over Emeka Okafor was largely criticized. How could the Magic take a high schooler over a college player? Well that's what Orlando did and it was a great decision. Nothing against Okafor who is a fine player but Dwight is lightyears better than him. With T-Mac out and Dwight in the future had begun. After some rough years with different coaches Dwight steadily rose as one of the best centers in the league. His dunks dazzled us and his defense impressed us. After 2007 in which the Magic were quickly ousted by Detroit in their first playoff appearance since 2003 Brian Hill was fired and Stan Van Gundy was brought in to which Dwight claimed "Basketball will be fun again" and fun it was. 2008 saw the Magic and Dwight explode. Dwight even competed in the dunk contest that year. This happened.
SUPERMAN WAS BORN! Magic fans went crazy and we reached the 2nd round of the playoffs for the first time since the 90's on the back of our young superstar rising center. Some were saying he might be the best center in the league. He certainly had a nickname now.
2009. My favorite year as a Magic fan. Nobody had the Magic in the Finals that year. But they reached the Finals. Largely behind the great play of Hedo and Rashard but also largely because of the defense and dunks of Dwight Howard and had the ball rolled the other way a few times this post might have looked a little different. The year after the finals Dwight was on a mission. His offense had improved a little but he was still the dominating defensive player he was. The Magic rode him and dominated all the way to the ECF where they were soundly defeated by the Celtics. While many of us didn't know it then. This was the end of the good times for the Magic and Dwight Howard.
2011 Dwight came out with an offensive flurry proving that he had the offensive game many wondered about him. He carried this team. It wasn't enough. An awful mid season trade lead to a team that was a shell of it's former self and lead to a first round exit. The Magic managed to go backwards every year since 2009 and that was it. The fun was over.
Coming out of the lockout Dwight demanded a trade. "Dwight why do you want to leave?" we asked! We never really got an answer. A season of strangeness and rumors emerged as Dwight played. Where will he go? The Lakers? The Mavericks? THE NETS!? YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NETS!? WHY THE NETS!? We all screamed confused as to of all teams why Dwight wanted to go to the Nets. Then it hit me. This wasn't about winning. This was about his brand and his market. It was about him wanting to go to a large market. In a way I understood it. I didn't like it but I understood it. But then you signed a clause that would keep you in Orlando for another year? "Maybe he will stay" we said. "There's hope" If only we knew what you would do I would have been screaming my head off that they trade you right then and there.
In one famous moment Stan Van Gundy, diet pepsi in hand, ousted Dwight for the team killer he was. Dwight demanded Stan be fired. It was out. Stan knew it. Dwight knew it. We knew it. Things were going to change. After another first round exit where Dwight was injured it was time for changes. Alex Martins gave Dwight his wish and fired Stan Van Gundy. "Well maybe now that they did that he'll want to stay?" No he demanded another trade the minute the Finals ended. We were done with it. At that moment any liking for Dwight left in the Magic fan base was gone. He was nothing to us. Dwight had singlehandedly destroyed an entire team in one season. He asked for people to be fired and yet he still wanted a trade. There was obviously no "loyalty" here. It was an overgrown baby destroying his old toy so he could go to his shiny new one.
We all know the story by now. An offseason of "where will Dwight go next" took place and Dwight was finally traded. Dwight, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark, and Jason Richardson are all being traded to the Lakers/Sixers (J-Rich). The Magic will be recieving Aaron Aflallo, Al Harrington, draft picks and some other players in the trade. I'm okay with the trade. A lot of people have problems with it but I'm just relieved to be done with this. No longer will we have to listen to the latest Dwight rumor. The team can finally start to rebuild. We can finally look towards the future.
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