Howard's Legacy in Orlando

By Mike Ferguson
Outside the Redzone

Now that the smoke has finally cleared and the move has been made, reality has set in and Dwight Howard has become the second superstar center in the relatively short history of the Orlando Magic to become a Los Angeles Laker. Howard is arguably the greatest player in the history of the franchise, but that doesn’t mean that he is the most revered player by the Magic and their fans. But as the superstar center makes a new beginning on the other side of the country, it will be interesting to see what kind of legacy Howard will leave behind in Orlando.

The only one who could have done as much harm to Howard’s legacy as a member of the Orlando Magic was Dwight Howard. Howard took the team to heights never seen before for the franchise. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and guided Orlando to a franchise record six straight playoff appearances. He wasn’t the first big man to lead the team to the NBA Finals, but he was the first to help them win a game once they got there. Howard was nothing short of a model citizen in the Orlando community and his perceived strong Christian nature won him over to people in the community who weren’t necessarily die-hard basketball fans.

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