Dwight Howard In Better Place “Mentally and Spiritually” With Houston Rockets Post-Lakers

Dwight Howard is expected to regain the old form that made him the one of the best, if not the best center in the NBA, now that the perennial NBA All-Star has settled in Houston.

After the string of drama-filled seasons with the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard admitted in an interview with Philly.com that he believes he is now in "a better place mentally, physically and spiritually."

After his lone season with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 27-year-old center turned down a maximum five-year, $118-million deal offered by the Lakers and signed a four-year contract with the Houston Rockets worth $88 million instead, joining fellow All-Star James Harden, who led the Rockets to the playoffs last season, and Jeremy Lin.

Although he declined to put into details the things that he went through during his lone season with the Lakers, it was very evident that Howard did not have fun last season.

"The situation in L.A., what happened is over with," Howard said. "It didn't work out on both sides. So we have to move on. It happens in everyday life. People decide to do different things with their lives. It's just that when you're NBA and at the top of your game, everybody wants to know what you're doing."

One of the alleged reasons why Howard spurned the Lakers' offer was his reluctance to play alongside Kobe Bryant for the next two to three years due to their strained relationship last season.

With the Rockets, Howard will play alongside Harden, who also needs the ball in his hands more often to be effective. Yet, Harden believes that he can co-exist with Howard.

"It's my job to make it work," Harden said when asked if he can co-exist with Howard which Bryant reportedly failed to do last season. "He's going to teach me some things that I don't know and I'll teach him some things he doesn't know. That's the kind of partnership and friendship we're going to have in order to be successful. That's the only way you can be successful is if you be 100 percent with each other."