Jojo Doria

Orlando, FL

Dwight Howard is out for the remainder of the season and will not compete in the upcoming Olympics, as the Orlando Magic star center has surgery to repair a herniated disk.

Howard has been dealing with back pain since early March, but the injury was discovered just last week.

"It hurts (emotionally)," Howard told ESPN the Magazine's Chris Broussard. "That's the first thing -- it hurts. And then with people saying and thinking I'm quitting on my team. This is a real issue. I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse."

The normally durable and outstanding player has had a season of tumult in dealing with health issues and an ongoing feud with coach Stan Van Gundy.

Howard, averaging 20.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game, created some of the controversy himself by asking to be traded and reportedly being unhappy in Orlando.

 

Back Woes End Season, Olympic Hopes for Dwight Howard