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Ball Don't Lie

Dwight Howard says he doesn’t care if Deron Williams is still his friend

Eric Freeman
Ball Don't Lie

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Carlos Boozer sets up a Dwight Howard/Deron Williams playdate in 2009 (Melissa Majchrzak/ Getty).

About a year ago, back when it was assumed that Dwight Howard would leave the Orlando Magic as a free agent in the summer of 2012, the Brooklyn Nets were the odds-on favorite to land his services. Along with point guard Deron Williams, Howard would have given the Nets a championship-level two-star core. It didn't hurt that Howard and Williams were friends who had played together on the 2008 Team USA Olympic gold-medal winners in Beijing.

Then Howard and the Magic's long "will they or won't they?" process began, which made the Nets' choice to wait for Howard in perpetuity a difficult process. They moved on, added different players, and forged a different future. Unfortunately, that also spelled the end of the potential partnership between Howard and Williams. Would they remain friends? Could they, after such heartbreak?

Deron, for his part, says he's happy that things worked out well for Dwight with the Lakers. But Dwight says he doesn't care if Deron is mad at him. From Stefan Bondy for the New York Daily News (via SLAM):

"It's my life so if he's upset because I made a decision for me, so be it," Howard said. "If he doesn't want to be friends because I'm on another team, then so be it. There's no need to smooth things over." [...]

The game also represents a shot at redemption for Brook Lopez, who the Nets tried to trade for Howard all last season. Howard told reporters Sunday that he plans to "hit (Lopez) in the chest a couple times on the offensive end and that will tire him out."

But Lopez wasn't engaging in trash talk. "At least Dwight said what he's going to do," Lopez said on the team's website.

Ugh, this is classic Dwight. Deron isn't even mad, because he found Brook, who was really just right in front of his eyes the whole time, and I heard they already picked out their matching outfits for the winter formal. But now Dwight's acting like Deron isn't his friend anymore, which is so wrong, because Deron just wants Dwight to be happy. So now he's going to hit Brook in the chest to start a fight for no reason? He even unfriended everyone on Facebook! Give me a break!

Like, Dwight had his chance to be with Deron and he totally blew it. Why's he pretending like there's some big fight when both are so happy now? I saw Dwight out with Kobe Bryant at the mall the other night, and even though Kobe didn't look him in the eye once they were laughing and sharing their Sbarro and just having such a good time. They even went to the Kay Jewelers to look at commitment rings after "Breaking Dawn: Part 2" ended. (OMG can you believe the ending???!!!!) It's all plastic but it so looks like a diamond. I swear you can't even tell the difference.

People grow apart, you know? Soon they'll all graduate and go their separate ways, and maybe they'll see each other at the reunion in Rio in four years and act like friends again. So why drop this drama bomb now? We're not in middle school anymore, guys, come on.

I'm telling you right now if they ruin Kris Humphries's party this weekend I'm gonna flip out.

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