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Early on in his career, Dwight Howard was known as one of the most dominant big men to ever play in the league. Despite his huge frame, Howard was both agile and explosive, and between 2007 and 2012, he was virtually unstoppable.
Despite his early success in the NBA, Howard's later career has been most noteworthy for its controversies both on and off the court. The 8-time All-Star has a habit of upsetting teammates and opposition players alike, so here we will look at some of the biggest clashes of Dwight Howard's career so far.
#3 Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett was never on the same team as Dwight Howard, although the two didn't get along for years. The pair's dislike for each other reached the breaking point when Garnett head-butted Howard during a game, which resulted in an ejection for the-then Nets man.
The 2008 NBA Champion had reportedly disliked Howard since 2009 when Howard upset Garnett by continuously bragging about the number of All-Star votes he had received. Despite rumours that Howard would join Garnett on the Nets, Garnett soon retired and unfortunately, we never got the opportunity to see the two try and function on the same team.
#2 James Harden
Dwight Howard was expected to be the star player when he arrived in Houston in 2013, however, James Harden's incredible rise to the face of the franchise quickly caused tension between the two All-Stars.
A former Rocket teammate suggested that he was told that he had to choose a side, and the turmoil was at its peak during the 2016 playoffs, as the team experienced a meltdown on national television. The toxic situation ended shortly after that playoff series, as Dwight Howard opted out of his contract. Harden has since expressed his regret at the situation by stating that he had wished that the relationship between the two had been better.
#1 Kobe Bryant
When Dwight Howard finally left the Orlando Magic in 2012 for Los Angeles, it looked as though the pairing of Kobe Bryant and Howard would dominate the Western Conference. Despite the high expectations, the Lakers fell to their worst regular season finish since 2007 and were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers wanted Howard to stick around, however, the then 27-year-old spurned their contract offer and signed with the Houston Rockets.
While Howard's time in Los Angeles was extremely brief, it will remain memorable due to the series of tense clashes between Howard and the Lakers great Kobe Bryant. The 18-time All-Star often clashed with Howard due to the center's laid-back attitude in training and games.
When speaking about their time together in LA, Bryant also expressed his frustration with Howard's unwillingness to learn what it takes to be on a Championship winning team. Ultimately, their time together in LA was marred by personality clashes, which is disappointing, as the pair had the chance to form a deadly duo during Kobe's final years.
