HOUSTON - If the boos come, Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard will be ready for them. Howard, who spent three seasons with the Houston Rockets before leaving for a three-year $70.5 million contract last summer will play for the first time at the Toyota Center on Thursday night.
"There was never any love lost for this city," Howard said Thursday morning from the Hawks team hotel. "It's just the business of basketball. I'm in a great place, this team is in a great place, but if I do get a couple of boos I will respect it and I understand it and you got to move forward."
In three seasons, the Rockets reached the Western Conference Finals and were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers. Howard said the reason he signed a free agent deal with the Rockets was to play with James Harden, whom he said was having an outstanding season.
Yet, last season the pairing between the men faltered. The on and off the court chemistry just wasn't there and the Rockets finished a dismal 41-41 sneaking into the postseason as the eighth-seed.
"I thought, besides the last season, I thought we had some successful seasons," Howard said. "Went to the West finals which hasn't been done since Hakeem Olajuwon. I thought we had some success, I know it didn't end the way we all wanted it to end, that's the NBA and you have to move forward. Houston is having a great year, this year and our team is also having a great season and it will be great if both teams ended up in the finals."
Howard was one of the more active players in the community when he played in Houston. He did charity work with former First Lady Barbara Bush, interacted with a Rockets-fan group called the Red Rowdies, conducted a blood drive for Craig Sager, who passed away last year, among other charitable acts. During a massive rain storm two seasons ago during the NBA playoffs, fans at the Toyota Center were told they couldn't leave the arena. A highway leading to Howard's home, south of downtown, was blocked off. Howard remained at the arena and talked to fans and played with his son until the storm passed.
"I did some good?" Howard said. "I've never disrespected any fan here in Houston I think I treated everybody, here in Houston with the same respect that I would want in the community at games no matter where it might be. There were never any bad moments I had with any of the fans here. When there was flooding I stayed with the fans, I was always in the community. I did the best I could for this city and this team on and off the floor. If I get a couple of boos that's fine with me. I learned to live with it, I've been getting booed my whole life that's not something new. I will always have a lot of love and respect for Houston."
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