Stan Van Gundy says Dwight Howard Asked the Magic to Fire Him

Things are getting downright testy down in Orland Magic land. Head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters today that he knows that Magic Star Dwight Howard has asked the front office to fire him. Howard denied it. This will not end well...for Van Gundy.

First there was Howard wanting to leave then stay. That was along with reports that if he stayed, Howard would have a say in Van Gundy's future with the team. That report was denied by Orlando's front office.

According to the Orlando Sentinel today though, Van Gundy said he had people from the top ranks of the organization tell him it was true that Howard had asked for Van Gundy to get axed. Oh boy.

Orlando is currently fifth in the Eastern Conference, with the playoffs just weeks away. This kind of drama pretty much means the Magic won't be contending for the title, not that anyone was picking them anyway.

Superstar players often have say in a coach's tenure, whether teams admit it or not. The coaching carousel is always spinning, but star players like Howard are harder to come by. It's pretty obvious that Van Gundy is done in Orlando, the only question is whether or not the team keeps him through the season and playoffs or not. 

Now that this kind of sniping and complaining is in public now, the Magic don't have to worry about making a deep playoff run and extending the acrimonious relationship between Howard and Van Gundy.

Article by Eric Gray