CBS Sports: Who walks away from the Lakers? Dwight Howard, that's who. Dwight Howard and nobody else. ... Howard (was finally able to make a) decision to shun the Lakers -- and five-time champion Kobe Bryant,and the franchise's glimmering legacy and the chance to join the greatest Lakers who ever played in basketball immortality ... But one thing Dwight Howard cannot do -- can never do -- is look back on leaving the Lakers with any regrets or expectations that it can ever be undone. ... Leaving the Lakers...? That's forever. If nothing else, finally there is something about Dwight Howard that will have staying power. ... (Howard didn't fit with Kobe.) That was obvious, watching him labor uncomfortably through his only season at Staples Center -- a fish out of water, a court jester with no subjects ... (Now Howard teams) up with James Harden, who left a championship situation in Oklahoma City ... (Harden turned down a four-year, $52 million extension from the Thunder, thus forcing a trade to the Rockets.) We could analyze the unavoidable, yet still unseemly conflict of interest inherent in agent Rob Pelinka's role in all of this. Pelinka, after all, represents Harden, who lobbied Howard to leave Bryant, who is Pelinka's most accomplished client, which could result in Bryant being denied his last, best chance to win his sixth championship. Gross? No, just part of the business. Whether leaving the Lakers winds up being the best or the worst thing Howard ever does will not change one irrefutable fact: It can never be reversed. There are no do-overs. Leaving the Lakers is something that only Dwight Howard would do, and it is something he has to own forever. And not just if it works.
Fox Sports, laying down the hammer: On Friday, (the latest big development in the) two-year Dwightmare (was announced), the most coveted NBA free agent of 2013 finally made his decision. Dwight Howard is going to Houston. Well, unless he changes his mind between now and when he can make it official next week. ... Howard made it known in his one troubled season as a Laker that he wants to be the focal point — of the offense, of the locker room, of the world around him. That’ll happen, for better or worse, in Houston. ... Several NBA officials Friday described Dwight to me as...someone missing that desire to be great and to win that has translated into a two-year mess for him, his brand, his image, and every team he’s touched. “The guys around him, the guys giving him advice, must be the dumbest m******f***** on earth,” one league source told me. “This kid has ruined his reputation in the league in just two years.” He has, and now he’s with Houston, a team that will change what it does to make Howard happy. ... whether his massive talent is worth all the crap that comes with him remains an open question. ... Howard, going back several years, has been a full-fledged prima donna. He’s killed off coaches and he’s forced his way off of both the team that drafted him and the team that took a chance on him ... He’s been immature, unreliable and, for my money, wholly unlikable. He’s also wildly talented. That’s why, in surveying a range of NBA front-office officials, two conflicting themes emerged: that Dwight is so talented you absolutely sign him if you can ... (But), he’s a mess. ... He’s gone from a lovable Superman to a spoiled, overgrown child in the eyes of many fans.
Lead editor for a Lakers blog, Drew Garrison: EXCLUSIVE: Dwight Howard's first photoshoot with the Houston Rockets
the Friday night of Donald Trump, one of the most powerful and influential men on the planet. He has unfettered access to all the pleasures that power and riches can buy, and he's on twitter with random strangers talking and thinking about the trainwreck that is the Dwightmare: 8:30 p.m. Fri, Jul 5 Random stranger: Mr Donald Trump is one of the most intelligent business men alive. Trump: Thank you! 8:35 p.m. Fri, Jul 5 Random stranger: any idea where Dwight Howard is going? Trump: He will.do best in Houston! 1:07 a.m. Sat, Jul 6 Trump: To all of those who asked, I predicted two weeks ago and again last night that Dwight Howard would go to Houston.Do I get congrats-insight? Random stranger: everyone knew he was going to Houston, you shithead Trump: Bullshit loser, most thought Lakers or Dallas! Random stranger: literally everyone knew that since the playoffs started. Trump: Wrong! Random stranger: why would Howard ever want.to play for the loser owner Cuban ? Trump: I guess he didn't! Random stranger: Why do you bother w/ #Twitter ? Thought that YOU thought you are better than this Random stranger: Donald, stick to business and politics. Trump: I will! Random stranger: When are you going to buy a pro sports team? Trump: Too many other things to do! Random stranger: he doesn't want Melania banging A-Rod again.. 1:09 a.m. Sat, Jul 6 Trump: Dwight Howard just signed with Houston Random stranger: NOT OFFICIAL YET Random stranger: Maybe, but not so fast! 3:19 a.m. Sat, Jul 6 Trump: For all of those that were hoping I was wrong,and this is a very unimportant subject to me, Dwight Howard just officially announced Houston Random stranger: go away. Random stranger: So unimportant to you you're tweeting about it? Today: 1:14 p.m. Sat, Jul 6 Random stranger: any prediction if the NYY will be in 1st again? Trump: No, they will not! Random stranger: agreed Random stranger: can u give me 30 thousand to help my producer career
Now big Shaq weighs in on Dwight "C"oward: "We've all been in LA, and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. Everybody wants to do it, but when you get there, there are certain pressures. I think it was a safe move for him to go to a little town like Houston . That's right, little town. I said it." “I knew when I went there (to L.A.), there was a lot of pressure. Kareem had five titles and Wilt had two so I had to be right there. I didn’t just want to have one. ... Whenever you feel pressure you have to face it. It seems to be he keeps running.”
Dick Vitale: 2h @SHAQ is on the money about @DwightHoward & LA-He will be super in Houston-Some stars have tough time on big stage. 21h Sick of those constantly ripping @DwightHoward - calling him a loser - ppl forget how he had Magic as a contender #SUPERSTAR ppl get real! 23h Bad night 4 Lakers only certain ppl can star under the bright lights like LA-@DwightHoward will be DOMINANT in Houston where he will fit in
Hilarious open letter to Dwight Howard.from a Milwaukee fan: Listen, I know Houston seems like a great fit. You got Harden's beard distracting everyone from your average post game, and Lin and Parsons can't trash talk about your toughness because they are in a full on bromance. No state income taxes. I get it. Slim Thug fixin' you with bad bitches. I get it. Baby Mamas only getting 20%. I get it. But if you though Kobe was riding your ass, wait until you have a pair of post legends trying to make you a competent post scorer after your neglect of the art for nearly the past decade. Dwight, you can still change your mind. Come to Milwaukee. We almost literally don't have a roster. We almost literally don't have a general manager capable of making intelligent decisions. We almost literally will have probably watched all the teams in our division get better than us, worse than us, and then better than us again over the last decade. You can literally be the GM and build-a-team like some 2k shit. No one will talk shit about you. There is literally no pressure. People are too burnt out after Packer season to give a shit about this franchise. Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Braun will be recognized on the street more than you will. People will ask you if you are a new linebacker for the Packers and you'll respond "No, I'm the center for the Bucks" and they will ask you why you are here instead of in Tampa Bay practicing your long snaps. How the fuck could you not want to play inside of this fucking thing? It looks like the fucking architect realized last minute there were no fucking windows in his original design, so he decided to compensate by fucking gluing a smaller building to it that is only windows. WE COULD LITERALLY PAINT A MURAL TO YOU ON 90% OF THE BUILDING. LITERALLY. LOOK AT IT AGAIN. I PROMISE YOU THE OTHER SIDE LOOKS EVEN WORSE. PLUS, NOW YOU GET TO PLAY NEXT TO DREW GOODEN: FLOOR SPACER LARRY SANDERS: SHOT BLOCKER JON HENSON: SHOT BLOCKER GREEK ROOKIE GUY: FREAK GUSATVO AYON: ARM SLEEVE LUC RICHARD MBAH A MOUTE: LITERALLY A PRINCE OF CAMEROON OR SOME SHIT. ALSO IS GOOD AT DEFENSE. EKPE UDOH: SHOT BLOCKER ISH SMITH: IS A POINT GUARD WOLTERS: RACIAL DIVERSITY ERSAN: FLOOR SPACING AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY Think about your stats. I can see you averaging 35 and 15. You will be the first ever MOST VALUABLE IMPROVED PLAYER COACH AND DEFENDER OF THE YEAR AWARD winner. Fuck, we'll bring you off the bench if you wanna win sixth man of the year while your at it. This is exactly what you want. Build your own team, no pressure, have fun, max deals until you die, no trade clauses, player options. Amnesty yourself if you get bored, no one will even know you were here. Best Case Scenario: Build your own championship team Worst Case Scenario: You win MVIPCDOTY award(s) and amnesty yourself when you get bored and do this whole free agency thing some other year
