ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Retiring Magic chairman and chief executive officer Bob Vander Weide says he wasn’t intoxicated when he spoke to Orlando’s Dwight Howard during a late-night phone call earlier this week and that it hasn’t affected their professional relationship in any way.
Vander Weide said at a news conference Wednesday that stepping down from his post had been in the works for a year and the NBA labor negotiations are what delayed the announcement.
He will stay on in a consulting role and hand off the chairman duties to brother-in-law Dan DeVos and CEO tag to team president Alex Martins.
Magic general manager Otis Smith says he continues to work to keep Howard in a Magic uniform long-term, but that he will also do whatever is necessary to protect the franchise.
