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After one mostly disappointing season with the Lakers, Dwight Howard confirmed on Friday that he is leaving Los Angeles to play for the Houston Rockets. "I just looked at both teams and I felt like Houston was going in one direction -- they got a lot of young players, they got a good coach in Kevin McHale and I just felt like having him as a coach, he could really help me in the post and help me develop like I want to," Howard told ESPN Los Angeles. "That was mainly the big reason right there, and having the opportunity to grow with a team, a young team, like the Rockets. That's the reason why."
He posted his decision to Twitter.
I've decided to become a member of the Houston Rockets. I feel its the best place for me and I am excited (cont) http://t.co/h8WK4yP3zB
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) July 6, 2013
Howard is reportedly taking as much as $30 million less to go with the Rockets, but apparently feels he has a better chance to win a championship. Plus he won't have Mike D'Antoni as his official coach and Kobe Bryant as his unofficial coach and team scold.
More from ESPN:
"It was tough," Howard said of leaving Los Angeles. "I enjoyed, for the most part, living here in L.A. I just really think the timing in L.A., it wasn't right for me. Maybe two years ago, or 2-3 years from now, it would have been the right time. But I just think right now the timing was off for me. That's not saying that L.A. is a bad place, but I just think it's all about timing and fit when you're talking about basketball. You can put anybody together on the court and expect them to win, but the pieces have to really fit in order for a team to be successful and it was very, very tough, man. It's probably one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make in my life."
A Lakers source in the team's pitch meeting for Howard last Tuesday said they felt Howard essentially had "made up his mind" before even meeting with them and described him as "emotionless.""He would barely look us in the eye," the source said.
Another Lakers source said "we felt like we were wasting our time" in the meeting.
Howard denied to ESPN that Kobe Bryant was part of his decision.
That was not a factor," he said. "I just felt like everything in Houston was right for me. It's a great opportunity. Me and James Harden together I think can be really, really unbelievable. We get the opportunity to really grow together. I've been a superstar in this league and I feel like me and him together can just really grow and be a dominant force together in the NBA as long as we're healthy. That was really the key to me. It had nothing to do with what Kobe did."
Bryant pointedly unfollowed Howard's Twitter account after the news broke.
