From 2009-2010, Vince Carter and Dwight Howard were teammates on the Orlando Magic. Carter has seen Howard play up close and personal, so he knows the history of the big man.

They play on separate teams now and they faced off last night as the Mavericks took on the Rockets. During the game, Carter had some choice words for Howard as he was talking with an official.

“All the time,” Carter told ESPN of Howard’s whining to officials. “He always talks about how I’m a crybaby. I was like, ‘Yo, you’re the biggest crybaby I know.’ And then later, he’s like, ‘Yo, why’d you say that to me?’ But I know Dwight. It’s all good, but he is [a crybaby].”

Of course Carter didn’t really say any of that to really attack Howard, but it’s true that in this league with floppers and bad officiating, the perception of certain players are put under the microscope. For Howard, after he whined his way out of Orlando and flopped in Los Angeles, his reputation isn’t very strong. Adding to the fact that he’s a terrible offensive player for a guy of his stature, he has a lot going against him.

His perception of being a unreliable basketball player has always been something I held on to after he forced his way out of Orlando. Carter just adds to the perception of what I have of him. Is Howard that bad? Probably not. But he’s turned himself into that kind of a villain in the NBA where we want to see him look bad. After all, he did bring some of it to himself and Carter is just pointing it out to us again.

And for me, as a non-fan of Howard, this was just what I like to see.