Former Rockets Superstar Regrets Decision to Join Franchise

It certainly sounds like he'd take a do-over.

Dec 22, 2018; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey looks on before a game between the Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

By the 2012 offseason, the Houston Rockets needed a makeover. The 2011-12 team was a scrappy bunch that nearly made the playoffs, although the Tracy McGrady-Yao Ming tandem had already ended.

The Rockets needed a new duo.

But not many stars were available, per usual.

Then Rockets GM Daryl Morey struck a deal with Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti that sent James Harden to Houston, in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and draft capital. Harden's first year was a success, as the Rockets went 45-37, good enough for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference. 

After falling to the OKC Thunder within six games, the front office realized a need to give Harden a co-star.

The Rockets' brass set their sights on Dwight Howard, who opted out of his final year with the Los Angeles Lakers to become an unrestricted free agent. The Rockets made an all-out pursuit on Howard and ultimately landed him, giving him a four-year deal worth $88 million.

By signing with the Rockets, Howard left $30 million on the table, as only the Lakers were able to offer him a fifth and final year. Howard wanted to leave the Lakers that bad.

However, Howard's stint with the Rockets wasn't quite a successful one, as the Rockets were eliminated by the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the 2013 playoffs in year one of the Howard-Harden duo.

The Rockets' best season with Howard was in 2014-15, as they went to the Western Conference Finals, although much of their success was without Howard, as he missed half of the season.

The 2015-16 season was a lost year, as the team fired coach Kevin McHale after just 11 games. The Rockets limped into the playoffs with a 41-41 record but weren't poised to make a deep title run.

Howard opted out of the final year of his deal at the end of the season, as there were reports of tension and friction between him and Harden.

Looking back, Howard stated that he never would've joined the Rockets if he had the opportunity to do it all over again, while making an appearance on the Above the Rim podcast.

"It was really tough man. It was really tough because I'm like here is a young James Harden and the situation in Houston.

I'm like here's a team with James, Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons, this young nucleus, and I have a chance to grow with them as a veteran.

Or do I stay in LA or do I go to Golden State?"

Howard continued, explaining what exactly swayed him to join the Rockets.

"What really got to me was the fact that I was gonna be able to work with one of my favorite players of all-time: Hakeem Olajuwon. So I'm like I'll be in Houston, there's no state tax. Daryl Morey did a good job of convincing me.

It was a difficult decision, man, and looking back on it, I made an emotional decision. That wasn't good." 

Howard elaborated further.

"That's one thing that I wish I could go back and I could be like 'let me make this decision wisely and weigh everything out.'

Like, I don't think I weighed my decision really, really well at the time. I think my emotions got the best of me because I was on this emotional low already from having to leave Orlando, then coming to the Lakers and us not succeeding.

I sit back and look like dang. If I would've really cherished those moments with Kobe as a teammate, and what it could've been if we would've had two, three, four years together of playing basketball and how much better I would've gotten.

All different types of things could've happened. I think it would've been a different story."

Howard re-joined the Lakers in 2019-20 as a reserve big man and won a championship.

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