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Come Fan with UsTuesday, August 4, 2026

Dwight Howard isn’t a bad guy, Jameer Nelson says

Orlando guard Jameer Nelson said he isn’t looking for an apology from his former Magic teammate.

Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard don't appear to be making up anytime soon. As the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Nelson isn't wanting to drag out the issue much longer despite Howard apologizing for calling some of his former Magic teammates, "guys nobody wanted."

Nelson didn’t want to talk much about the issues with Howard during the morning shootaround that has the Orlando media swarming, according to NBA.com’s John Denton. At the same time, the point guard is only trying to move on:

"I guess publicly ... I'm not looking for apologies," Nelson said when asked if Howard had apologized.

"He's not a bad guy," Nelson added. "I don't see why everybody's making him out to be a bad guy. We all make mistakes and decisions that we have to deal with.''

Howard again said Tuesday that he’d reached out to Nelson to apologize for his comments, but hadn’t received a response. The longest-tenured Magic player said that friendships come and go in the NBA, that might be the case between the two former teammates, who Denton says were once close friends.

Nelson also reminded media members that there were more good stories when he and Howard were teammates than bad. However, the sour final season where Howard publicly jockeyed to be traded from Orlando remains on everyone’s mind.

More in the NBA:

Vince Carter doesn’t like dunking anymore

Tom Ziller: Revisiting the Dwight Howard trade

OPP: Dwight Howard returns to Orlando

RIP Brandon Knight: DeAndre Jordan’s dunk of the year

What was Brandon Knight’s actual mistake?

Derrick Rose should shut it down

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