13 years after the bitter end, Dwight Howard rightfully so finds his place in the Orlando Magic history! And the man allegedly responsible for the bitter end was none other than Stan Van Gundy. In a behind-the-doors battle, both of them lost as they left the franchise in the same year in 2012. First, it was the then-coach in May, and Howard soon followed as he joined the Lakers, which did not end well. Over the years, the beef has been squashed; that’s why the question arose about the coach not being part of the HOF ceremony.

In 2023, the former coach and the player of Orlando Magic bonded over a traumatic loss. It was not basketball-related, but Stan Van Gundy’s wife passed away at the age of 61. A ton of former players and staffers came together to support the coach, including Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Patrick Ewing. So, for D12’s big day, the 65-year-old was missing as the professional commitments took precedence. Currently, the former coach is working as a television commentator for the NBA on TNT and College Basketball on CBS.

Van Gundy joined them two years ago, as the former NBA head coach made his way into college basketball coverage. This year, he will be working through Elite Eight with Kevin Harlan, who will have play-by-play duties, and Dan Bonner, his co-analyst. His most recent outing was yesterday, during the Illinois vs. Kentucky and Ole Miss vs. Iowa State matchups. The games took place on Fiserv Forum, located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Up next, his duties are as follows.

For the Sweet 16 clash of Maryland vs. Florida and Arkansas vs. Texas Tech kicking off from Friday. Because of those reasons, it is possible that Stan Van Gundy was not in attendance for Dwight Howard’s big day. Despite the absence, the 3x DPOY made sure to give his former coach proper props.

While Stan Van Gundy was unable to attend the ceremony, his presence was still felt. The complicated relationship between the two men was a very public one, and the way that Dwight Howard addressed his former coach, shows that the two men have made amends.

Dwight Howard clears the air and pays respect to Stan Van Gundy

The former coach was part of the Orlando Magic for five seasons from 2007 to 2012, leading them to the 2009 NBA Finals. At the time of his firing, Van Gundy publicly confirmed that Howard had asked management to fire him. “When it comes out that one of the highest-profile guys in the league has asked his coach to be fired, it’s going to be a story.”

Over the years, Dwight Howard, always maintained that the situation was overblown as their relationship improved. Since the connection is not a soured one, the former champion acknowledged Van Gundy’s impact on his career. “Stan meant a lot to me, you guys. If it wasn’t for Stan, there wouldn’t be Dwight. I know we had a falling out and we had some disagreements, but Stan was my little guy. He pushed me. He held me accountable for everything, and it really helped me with my life.” 

This year the 39-year-old is one of the finalists for the Naismith Hall of Fame induction. After his previous snub of NBA 75, which Van Gundy also called “absolutely ridiculous,” it seems D12 is getting his due. So, the former champion made sure to highlight one of the important people who helped him reach this stage.