So Dwight is on Austin Rivers' podcast today talking about his time on the Magic....

[WeAreVenom]

https://www.uninterrupted.com/podcasts/6fhA2Jj0vmwGkWSMkWuGqO/go-off-with-austin-rivers

About to listen now, but I can tell you in the preview he says:

"It does hurt to go back to Orlando and hear all the boos. How can you have hate in your heart for someone who laid it all on the line for 8 years?"

Unpopular opinion here, but he's half right. He did lay it all on the line for 8 years, but he also contributed his fair share to the vitriol he feels here. Doesn't help that it hasn't worked out on literally every other team he's been on since then, either.

Then again he might be aware, haven't listened to the whole thing just yet.

[Nightman]

I don't hate him and I don't care enough about him enough anymore to boo him. But the way that he forced himself out sucked. He got his coach (that basically built a system for him to succeed) fired, accused the team of blackmailing him, demanded a trade but only to a couple specific teams, and just generally acted like a bitch during his last year here. He doesn't owe the team anything, but it's incredibly frustrating as a fan when the market of the team you root for isn't big enough to satisfy your star players because there's really nothing you can do to change that, so I can understand those who still dislike him.

[Versubio]

I loved what he did while he was on the team. He's an all time Magic great. Hated how he exited. I don't hate him or care to boo him now, its water under the bridge at this point.

[Cockers]

It is all like in Red Dead redemption 2. Gaining honor is hard and goes slowly, losing respect goes fast when doing the wrong things.
If Dwight only had a little bit more of an 'arthur morgan' attitude instead the attitude of an infant, he would have had a better career than he had now... In Orlando or elsewhere.

[UCFJayBird]

I've always thought people were too hard on Dwight for the way things ended. Yes it was ugly, yes he was at fault. But people act like he was Shaq who bolted after 4 years. Heck, McGrady bolted after 4 years too and didn't get much grief. Granted he handled it better than Shaq and Dwight, but Dwight was here 8 years, I would think that buys more good will, but I think that just made it hurt more.

[IllMagic04]

I hated the way he left. I don't hold any grudge him anymore. I think it has a lot to do with the way his career ended up. I held a grudge against Shaq for years. I still hold it to be honest. Cause he left he won chips that I felt like we could have won. Not the same case for Dwight.

[Versubio]

I hated the way he left. I don't hold any grudge him anymore. I think it has a lot to do with the way his career ended up. I held a grudge against Shaq for years. I still hold it to be honest. Cause he left he won chips that I felt like we could have won. Not the same case for Dwight.

Funny, that's exactly how I still feel about Shaq. Even after retirement I still don't care for him, after the way he left the Magic.

[MagicStarwipe]

I have nothing against Dwight. Best player in our history and the only player worthy of jersey retirement.

[Magic#1]

And this response by him is probably the main reason why he did not become an all-time great or will likely ever win a championship, and definitely won't be as the main focus of a championship team. He can't handle not being liked. That was never a problem for the likes of Shaq or, in modern times, a player like Durant. Dwight did amazing things here, but he burned us. And fanbases root for teams (or they should) and not just players.

[Knightro]

I don't hate Dwight, but he handled his own departure in a pretty tone deaf way.

[MagicStarwipe]

The organisation handled it all pretty badly too. Both sides were at fault.

[dsg2003mach1]

The organisation handled it all pretty badly too. Both sides were at fault.

and thats why I don't care for him or the Magic these days. I don't boo Dwight but I do admit to taking a little joy in him being his own worst enemy and his inability to grow up. We dropped our tickets after 28 years

[OrlandO]

His career has fallen off and he's kind of a joke right now with how he's perceived around the league, so I don't think too many magic fans truly hate him anymore. It's not even a storyline anymore when he comes to town. Once he retires and/or the magic become good again fans will probably be more willing to remember the good old days and be nicer to him.

[VFX]

Dwight left the organization in the worst possible way. Basically had Stan fired, put Orlando in rebuild mode, and stretched out his departure hurting his value. For all the years he gave to Orlando he also devastated whatever legacy he had. It also doesn’t help that Shaq left Orlando for LA as well. Don’t hate him, but I don’t wish him well.

[Audi]

Honestly, any other team and the way he left would’nt have been such a big deal. But he didn’t/doesn’t understand this fan base and it’s history, which is (understandably) ultra sensitive to being toyed with and, ultimately, burned by elite talent after experiencing legitimate highs with them.

[Audi]

Dwight left the organization in the worst possible way. Basically had Stan fired, put Orlando in rebuild mode, and stretched out his departure hurting his value. For all the years he gave to Orlando he also devastated whatever legacy he had. It also doesn’t help that Shaq left Orlando for LA as well. Don’t hate him, but I don’t wish him well.

Don’t forget he also bashed the rest of the team, essentially calling them “unwanted” scrubs, iirc.

[BadMofoPimp]

Nobody hates what he accomplished as a Magician. They hate the way he left like a crybaby, taking cheap shots and forcing himself onto the Lakers.

[WeAreVenom]

His career has fallen off and he's kind of a joke right now with how he's perceived around the league, so I don't think too many magic fans truly hate him anymore. It's not even a storyline anymore when he comes to town. Once he retires and/or the magic become good again fans will probably be more willing to remember the good old days and be nicer to him.

I agree, I really think it's because we still suck.

It's clear both sides are still hurt about the situation. I'm sure he still gets booed in LA and Houston, but they seemed to be afterthoughts in the conversation.

I do think we need to stop booing him though, we're starting to look like bitter exes. Is it true we removed him from the intro videos before the game? In the podcast he says that they play moments he was there for, but have scrubbed him from them entirely. That's petty imo....we should stop that.

[npiper17]

I have nothing against Dwight. Best player in our history and the only player worthy of jersey retirement.

I agree with this although I have thought about the idea of retiring #1 jointly for both Penny and T-Mac but that’s probably more that those guys (Penny especially) are personal favourites of mine.

In terms of Dwight - I’m afraid his level of maturity has always been the problem both during his time in Orlando and elsewhere. What is it Bon Jovi named his album? 100,000,000 people can’t be wrong?

Well in Dwight’s case, it’s so many locker rooms can’t be wrong. He’s just not liked around the league and I think his maturity is a big reason why.

[WeAreVenom]

I have nothing against Dwight. Best player in our history and the only player worthy of jersey retirement.

I agree completely, I would like to make amends before he retires. No one has done more wearing a Magic uni than Dwight, he has like all of our team records.