Dwight Howard has faced off against NBA legends like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, but if you ask him who gives him nightmares, he’d probably say it’s the media. Just last year, Howard called out false reports, saying, “Stop posting things and acting like it came from me smh! Too many lies!” Recently, Howard, alongside DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook, reunited on a podcast and delved into this topic, making it clear that the conversation would get heated.

During their chat on the ‘Above The Rim with DH12’ podcast, the trio pondered, “Where do these false narratives about us come from?” Dwight Howard’s blunt response was, “It’s the media.”

This isn’t the first time Howard has called out the media, but his recent comments were particularly biting. He explained that media outlets have betrayed them, and if fans could speak to them directly, they’d realize how inaccurate these portrayals are. “They’d (fans) be like, what the hell, he’s not even like this,” Howard pointed out, underscoring the disparity between media narratives and reality.

Interestingly, DeMarcus Cousins jumped into the conversation, sharing his own encounters with misled fans. “I’ve heard that so many times—people that randomly meet me and they’re like, damn bro, you’re nothing like they say,” Cousins recounted, as reported by SF Chronicle. Cousins’ brother Jaleel, often mistaken for him, has also faced rude behavior based on these false impressions. “They’ll just come to you and be like, ‘You have a bad attitude!’ And it’s coming from someone who’s never even met my brother,” Jaleel revealed.

Coming back to Howard, he declares this as a “narrative” that follows them for “the rest of their careers” as he believes this media-driven storyline unfairly shapes public perception.

Dwight Howard and the media’s narrative

In 2017, a major controversy erupted when Dwight Howard accused the media of fabricating the supposed feud between him and Kobe Bryant as clickbait. At the time, Howard chose not to confront the issue directly, opting to leave the team after just one season.

However, by 2023, Howard had reached his breaking point and refused to let the media control the narrative any longer. He publicly vented his frustration, saying, “Stop posting things and acting like it came from me smh! Too many lies! How do they quote me without me saying or doing anything?” Although he didn’t specify which stories he was referring to, his frustration was evident amidst his ongoing legal battles.

Similarly, back in 2011, while playing for the Orlando Magic, rumors circulated that Howard was headed to the LA Lakers. Annoyed by the speculation, he tweeted, “Y does it seem like the writers of Orlando Sentinel are tryna push me out of Orlando with dumb articles. It’s annoying. Can I enjoy my summer and get ready for next season in Orlando. Pls. Same thing u guys did to Shaq. Smh.” Ironically, he joined the Lakers the following year and went on to win a championship with them in 2020.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.