Dwight Howard speaks glowingly about relationship with Mike Budenholzer

Eight-time All-Star center Dwight Howard hasn’t always been known for getting along with his head coaches, but he appears to be turning over a new leaf now that he’s a member of the Atlanta Hawks.

After the Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night by the final of 117-96, Howard spoke positively about his relationship with Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

“It’s the best,” Howard said of the team’s staff, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “It’s the best. So grateful to be in this situation. They’ve done an amazing job, the training staff, the coaching staff. Bud has done an amazing job. We have a growing relationship that has been great so far. We are really understanding each other. And it’s good. I love having him as a coach.

“From the first time I met him until now, we’ve had a great connection,” Howard continued. “We want to continue that. I love how he holds me accountable every single day to be the guy for the team to lead them in the right direction. When I’m not doing the right things, he is on me. When I am doing the right things, he pushes me to do more. It’s just a great feeling.”

The 30-year-old Howard definitely appears to be rejuvenated in Atlanta with averages of 15.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game through the first nine games of the season (of which the Hawks have won seven).

Of course, Howard has quite the history of strife with his former head coaches, so Budenholzer being able to get through to him could go a long ways towards revitalizing Atlanta’s hopes of contention in the Eastern Conference this year.

H/T theScore