Dwight Howard returns to play Los Angeles to play the Lakers for the first time since his departure to sign with the Houston Rockets in July.
Howard is confident he made the right decision to sign with the Rockets, but acknowledged that there were a few things that could have been done to change the outcome.
"There's a couple things that could've been done, but that's over with now," Howard said. "I'm in a better place, our team is doing great and the Lakers, they'll come back. But hopefully this is the Rockets' time."
Howard didn't elaborate on what could have been done differently, but it has been previously reported that he preferred Phil Jackson over Mike D'Antoni and that he was concerned about the timetable for Kobe Bryant to defer to him as franchise player.
Howard is bracing for a hostile environment.
"I think there will be a lot of boos," Howard said. "I can't really focus too much on that. I know I'm going to hear it the whole game. All the noises, whatever you want to call it, 'Coward.' There's not anything I can do about it except to go out and play.
"This year I've been through it a lot in every city because there are Laker fans everywhere. Every city I get booed in. I think I'm a little bit prepared for it."
Howard played at the Clippers in November, but expects this to be different.
"Back in Orlando, I was there for my whole career and fans had gotten to know me on a personal level. I know that a lot of people were very hurt," Howard said. "With this situation, it being my first year, and I left after that. People were mad that I left the Lakers and nobody's ever left the Lakers, so they were upset about that.
"But at the end of the day, I did what I felt was best for myself. I wasn't afraid of any bright lights or pressure. I just felt like Houston was the best place for me. Other people might see it differently, but that's what I chose. It's my destiny, it's my life and I feel like I did the right thing."
. We all see how that played out.
