Dwight Howard asks Paolo Banchero not to leave Magic
03/24/2025 11:56 PM
The Orlando Magic inducted Dwight Howard into the franchise’s Hall of Fame on Monday night, which shows that the Magic franchise has truly forgiven Howard for the unceremonious way he exited from the team back in 2012. Howard was a central figure, after all, during the most successful run in franchise history — with Orlando making it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2009.
Howard’s Magic tenure, of course, had with it its fair share of mistakes. And the 39-year-old center is imploring current Magic star Paolo Banchero not to make the same mistakes he made.
“I know I disappointed a lot of you guys and in some ways I disappointed myself. But that’s a whole part of life. Every day we learn, we grow. Thank you guys for supporting me all my beautiful years here. Paolo don’t leave them, man. Don’t leave them,” Howard said in an interview after his Magic Hall of Fame induction, via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
"Shoutout to all my Magic fans," #Magic Hall of Famer Dwight Howard said. "…Paolo, don't leave them, man."
Added Howard on the current squad when I asked: "I just hope they don't take these moments for granted … It's very difficult to make it to this level…"
Full remarks: pic.twitter.com/6ZhJlbUUGY
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) March 24, 2025
It’s been 12 years since Howard got his desired exit from the Magic, and it looks as though he has some regrets regarding how things turned out. It’s not hard to see why; in thinking that the grass was greener, Howard found his stock dip further the farther he got away from the Magic. His first season with the Los Angeles Lakers was a nightmare, his Houston Rockets stint ended with him clashing with James Harden, and he treaded water with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Washington Wizards before redeeming himself in a championship run with the Lakers.
Banchero, however, is just in the third season of his career, and he is expected to sign a maximum extension with the Magic once he’s eligible, so he’s in no danger of leaving Orlando anytime soon.
Dwight Howard imparts some wisdom as Magic welcome him back
Dwight Howard knows how fleeting everything is in the NBA, and he wants nothing more than for the current Magic players to enjoy the ride and never take anything for granted.
“I just hope that they don’t take these moments for granted. Don’t take no games, no practices, none of this for granted because you never know if you’ll get this opportunity again. It’s very difficult to make it to this level so I just don’t want them to take [anything] for granted. I just wish when we were here, we had more opportunities like that,” Howard said.
“Now it’s just, the world is here, in their hands it seems like. They have the best facilities, great coaches, they have a city that’s behind them. Now, it’s just about them, how much are they willing to sacrifice for the opportunity to win a championship? If they do, if Orlando gets a championship, oh my God. It’d be the best-feeling city and well deserved.”
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