The biggest saga of the 2012 NBA summer is over, as Dwight Howard found himself being traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers, poor him. So what is Howard’s first contribution to his new team and city? Giving a pretty good impression of his new team’s biggest star, Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers got Howard for Andrew Bynum, while involving two more teams (Nuggets & 76ers) in the trade to help make it happen. Big winners out of it ? Lakers, as always. After getting Steve Nash for absolutely nothing, the Lakers got Howard for pretty much what they were willing to give up. Andrew Bynum, a Center they were willing to give up to get a better center and hopefully the cornerstone of the franchise in the future.

Is Howard still the most hated guy in the NBA? At least until something new comes up. The way he acted for the past 12 months with the Orlando Magic and all the switches he’s made in his opinion while the franchise danced to his tune, getting rid of all the personnel he wanted gone before he announced he wants to leave hasn’t won him any fans.

Going to the Lakers never wins you any fans either. But if he helps Bryant gets his sixth NBA ring it doesn’t matter. If he becomes part of the rich Lakers lore it won’t matter. He’ll just be a player people used to hate for a forgotten reason, just like LeBron James.

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