Despite Throwing Dwight Howard Under the Bus, 63YO Coach Shuns $180,000,000 Worth Anthony Davis for Ex-NBA Star

The NBA 75 Anniversary team was a landmark event that honored some of the best players in league history. From legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O?Neal to current stars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James, 76 players were given this prestigious honor and identified as ?the best of the best?. While the deserving names dominated the field, there were a few major snubs as well. Two years after the prestigious ceremony took place, a former NBA coach voiced his opinion on who deserved to be on that list.

Dwight Howard’s omission surprised many. However, what surprised people more was the inclusion of Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard. Fans argued that Howard had a much better resume and made a bigger impact than the two on the list. That claim has now received backing from Howard’s former coach, who threw the 37-year-old under the bus not so long ago.

Dwight Howard gets a shoutout from his former coach

A few days ago, former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was interviewed for an episode of the ?Knuckleheads Podcast?. During the conversation, the main topic of interest was shifted towards discussing 8x All-Star Dwight Howard. Having coached the player for quite a few seasons, Van Gundy holds Howard in high regard. This was probably the reason why the former felt that the 2020 NBA champion was underappreciated.

The interview featured Van Gundy highlighting that the only reason Howard wasn?t chosen among the 75 was due to a ?personality thing?. While the coach claimed that he had nothing against the Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis, he felt that he wouldn?t choose him when making the decision to select the Top 75.

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“You cannot make a case that Anthony Davis, when they picked that team or even now, had a better career than Dwight Howard, that?s absolutely ridiculous,? said Stan Van Gundy during the interview.

While some may allegedly accuse Van Gundy of portraying bias by supporting his former prodigy, the coach is someone who knows the game in and out. His opinion, just like the one of any other NBA enthusiast out there, deserves to be heard. However, Howard was thrown under the bus by his former coach over a decade ago.

Dwight Howard’s “worst day of my life”

Back in 2012, when both entities were associated with the Orlando Magic, a report had started to circulate that Howard wanted to get rid of his coach. A day later, Van Gundy held a press conference to address the issue. Stating that he was ?uncomfortable with BS?, the coach made the claim that Howard had talked with the team management to get him fired.

Six years later, after Howard had moved to the Washington Wizards, he gave an interview for ESPN?s ?The Jump?. Recalling the eventful moment, Howard called it “the worst day of my life.”

?We had a game that night. And that was the worst game I ever played,” Howard added during the interview. “Like, I could not hit the basket for nothing. And you would have thought — I don’t know what was going on that night, but it was the worst ever.?

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Whatever issues the player and the coach faced back then have been long forgotten. Fans can rejoice because, despite being on separate teams, the professional relationship between the duo continues to be a good one.