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Hakeem Olajuwon believes Dwight Howard will stay with Lakers, says LA was where Howard always wanted to be

Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon believes that Dwight Howard will re-sign with the Lakers, and says that when the two worked out together in 2011 Howard was focused on making his way to Los Angeles.

By Drew Garrison
USA TODAY Sports

Dwight Howard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer (yes, a shocking development, I know). The Lakers haven't had a very good season by any stretch of the imagination and are currently on the outside of the playoffs begging to get in. Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon has worked with Dwight over the summer in the past and believes that Howard will re-sign with the Lakers. In fact, he says when they worked out together in 2011 that becoming a Laker was Dwight's focus, reports Chris Tomasson with FOX Sports Florida who recently had a phone interview with Olajuwon.

Howard has been noncommittal when talking to the media. But until he hears otherwise, Olajuwon believes Howard will re-sign with the Lakers when he becomes a free agent this summer.

"I think so," Olajuwon said. "I think so. Because that is where he wanted to be. He wanted to go there."

Olajuwon said that when the two worked out in the summer of 2011, Howard told him he wanted to end up with the Lakers. - Chris Tomasson, FOX Sports Florida

Going even further, Olajuwon said he was very surprised when teams outside of Los Angeles were on Dwight's "preferred" list.

Olajuwon eventually asked to be traded from the Magic and named the Lakers, Nets and Mavericks as preferred destinations. When reports surfaced that Howard's first choice was the Nets, Olajuwon put little stock in that since Howard only had spoken to him about wanting to go to the Lakers.

"That was a surprise," Olajuwon said of the Nets. "I don't know where that came from. He was very focused on knowing he wanted to go to the Lakers." - Chris Tomasson, FOX Sports Florida

Things change, especially regarding this Lakers team that has been anything but a "dream" destination thus far for Dwight Howard. Olajuwon intends to meet with Howard over All-Star weekend in February to "catch up" with Howard and discuss the issues he is having in Los Angeles this season.

- Drew

- Follow this author on Twitter @DrewGarrisonSBN

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