Ex-Magic CEO: Dwight Howard compared himself to Jordan, Ali

There's a fine line between confidence and hubris. There's also a good chance Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard fails to recognize that line.

According to former Orlando Magic CEO Bob Vander Weide, before the Magic traded Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2012, D-12 compared himself to Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Nelson Mandela.

"When he told me he was an icon, guess what three names he used [to compare himself to]?" Vander Weide said. "Michael Jordan. Muhammad Ali. Nelson Mandela."

"Are you kidding me?'" Vander Weide went on to say. "We've been to the Finals once and you're a great athlete, and you're an icon like these three? I knew it was over. I knew there was no chance of keeping him."

If what Vander Weide has stated is true, Howard, who is already one of most disliked players in the NBA, is clearly out of touch with reality. No one doubts that Howard is one of the best centers in basketball, but to have the gall to compare yourself to the greatest basketball player of all-time, along with two social and cultural figures as immensely influential as Ali and Mandela is just stunning.

Howard is set to begin his third season with Houston on Wednesday, October 28, when the Rockets take on the Denver Nuggets.