The acquisition of Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers was probably the biggest blockbuster deal of the off season, but in a recent ESPN radio interview former NBA enforcer Charles Oakley made comments about his dislike of the whole "Dwightmare" situation.
Oakley, who's generally known for his toughness, didn't exactly love the way the Orlando Magic front office dealt with Howard's trade demands.
"A lot of guys cry in this league these days. I try not to get caught up in that. The management in Orlando let him get away with it. Most times, they put kids in timeout. They never put him in timeout. He just kept crying and got his way. Now he's in LA with Kobe so they got a chance to win a couple championships in the next two or three years.
"They could have traded him and got something better for him last year. I think they just tried to play along. They just pleased him anyway they could but he never did anything to please them."
It's hard to argue with Oakley's comments after the Magic settled for role players after giving away their superstar.
This isn't the first time Oakley has been critical of Howard, back in June 2010, he questioned Howard's commitment to the game during a Florida radio interview.
"Dwight Howard is embarrassing Patrick (Ewing) if you ask me," Oakley said in the interview. "He doesn't have a ball player's mind. And they tell me he is one of the best centers in the game. He wouldn't have even made the league 10 years ago. He would be on the bench. They say he won't listen. Dwight won't listen. How can you not listen to Patrick Ewing?
So the question that remains is whether or not Howard has changed his attitude after being dealt. Proof would be if Howard goes through the season doing what he's supposed to do (defend, rebound, finish at the rim) and avoid falling into his bad habits (off-court distractions, frustration with teammates, clashing with coaching staff, playing with less than 100 percent commitment).
