Deron Williams may have been more anxious than any other player or coach in the NBA during the whole Dwight Howard saga that took place last season. Williams wanted to play alongside a superstar, which is why he openly stated he was hoping Howard would come to the Brooklyn Nets and also why he strongly considered signing with the Dallas Mavericks. When all was said and done, he decided to re-sign with the Nets anyway.
Instead of forcing his way to Brooklyn or waiting to become a free agent, Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Rumor has it the move has strained the relationship between Howard and Williams, but Howard doesn’t seem to care.
“It’s my life so if he’s upset because I made a decision for me, so be it,” Howard said according to the NY Daily News. “If he doesn’t want to be friends because I’m on another team, then so be it. There’s no need to smooth things over.”
Williams and Howard used to meet up for dinner anytime they were in the same town, but Deron said he has not spoken to Dwight recently. The Lakers host the Nets on Tuesday and it seems unlikely that the two stars will be breaking any break together in Hollywood.
“I’m here now in L.A. there’s no need to talk about what could have happened. I’m happy with being here in L.A.,” Howard said. “The fans have always been great here. Now that I’m on the team the fans, from Day 1, they’ve just been unbelievable to me and to this team.
“It really doesn’t matter at this point (why I demanded a trade to Brooklyn). There’s no need to talk about the past. I’m happy being a Laker. This is the best situation for me and what I need to move forward.”
We hear time and time again that professional sports are a business, so you would think Williams would accept that and move forward. If not, it doesn’t seem like Howard is going to lose any sleep.
