Dwight Howard Booed In Return to Orlando; Says He has Nothing But Love for Magic Fans

Dwight Howard has made a lot of headlines this season for the things he's said as well as the things he's done.

And after his latest candid statement about his ex-teammates on the Orlando Magic, Howard had a little bit of explaining to do.

Howard caused a stir last week when he said that during his time in Orlando, he was "playing with a bunch of guys nobody wanted."

The comments were met with harsh reaction from his old teammates, which prompted Howard to clarify his statements prior to Tuesday's highly anticipated game that saw Howard return to Orlando for the first time since he departed in an off-season trade that sent him to the Lakers after eight seasons with the Magic.

"I've said it plenty of times. I have nothing but love for the fans here," Howard said. "They made me into the player that I am today, and I'll always be thankful for that. I came here a boy and left a man. It's made me a better person being here. Thank you to all the fans who supported me even throughout all the bad times."

Howard turned the Magic around when he arrived in the 2004-05 season, helping return the franchise to the NBA Finals in 2009 for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal left town in 1996-also to the Lakers.

Howard was just looking forward to being back in the city that was his home for so long.

"I was happy to come back, see my house, go to Waffle House, get a good meal," he said. "That was fun. I was happy about that."

His fans, however, were less than receptive in the opening of the game Tuesday, with Orlando fans booing their once-beloved franchise player heavily before tip-off and in the opening minutes of the game.

The Magic have been struggling all season following Howard's departure, while the Lakers have just started to get hot as they have entered playoff contention with a little over a month left in the regular season.