Dwight Howard is a Houston Rocket after an almost four year dance about where he would sign a long term extension ended via a Twitter announcement. It was the right move for Howard despite the fact that his trade to the Lakers was seen in much the same way.
When Howard was traded to the Lakers it was viewed as a matter of destiny. The Lakers are supposed to have superstars clamoring to go there. They are like that guy that seems to have everything going for him and on top of that nonchalantly comes back from Vegas saying they won 5 grand after finding a $100 bill on the floor.
But since that day, something went awry. Somehow Dwight went from franchise reinvigorating superstar to pariah and scapegoat for everything that went wrong. A franchise that usually has everything go right for them had the worst possible scenario play out. Turns out Dwight and resident Staples center superstar Kobe Bryant didn’t get along. Turns out Steve Nash was 39 years old. Turns out that the replacement for Mike Brown didn’t make them better, it made them worse because he steadfastly refused/didn’t know how to alter his system to fit the personnel he had. You know, the obvious skill set for a head coach
Even worse, the Clippers became the best team in Los Angeles acquiring the superstar PG the Lakers thought they had acquired in one of those deals that the Lakers always seem to be involved in. It was as if God, by proxy of David Stern, altered the direction of the Lakers and gave the magic the Lakers and their fandom seemed to enjoy to the Clippers.
So, it didn’t seem like a stretch to suggest that a superstar would entertain the thought of leaving Los Angeles even though a few years ago it would’ve drawn sharper eye brow raises than the Rock in his heyday. As some sort of last ride memorial to his waffling personality, Dwight through his team kept sending mixed signals while claiming that he wanted to be wooed because he never experienced a college recruitment process. It was classic Dwight: bogus reasoning to try to make people forget his indecisiveness. Of course no beat writer/columnist will let Dwight’s crimes go unpunished. And so the deconstruction of Dwight, a process that began the day his lies were publicly called out to in the press by former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy in an unprecedentedly awkward media session, continued till his smile was seen as deceiving and his motives for every move had naysayers galore.
It got to the point that he was labeled a soft, coach killing, sensitive “superstar” that had to have his own way even though even if his ideal situation doesn’t exist because he was worse, a chronic complainer.
The backlash to Dwight and his needy act was such that even before Dwight made his decision Laker fans were not only resigned to his eventual spurning of the Lakers but openly applauded it. Fans took to comments sections in blogs and major sites to say they didn’t care and that he was washed up.
But nothing beat the fan hat (read franchise microphones) that legends like Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar wore to denounce Dwight and downplay the actual shift happening in Los Angeles. They reminded everyone how much of a privilege it was to play for the Lakers, an admission that the new generation cared not for tradition but for who could advance their own brand.
Which brings us to the real issue at hand. This isn’t a referendum on all the players in today’s game but the reality is every superstar athlete has more people in their crew/posse making their super friend aware of the extra possibilities that exist outside of the basketball court. Never mind that it behooves the handler/friend to create some sort of partnership with the star to keep his hooks on him, but its changing how teams are approaching negotiations with these stars.
Now players are more aware of the double standard that front offices use. They ask for players to chase championships while on discounted contracts on account of cementing legacies with the community and fan base as well as the team. But should the player leave scorned ownership may use its multitude of resources thru back channels to express disappointment and invite resentment. As if a player should be thankful to the owner for giving him the opportunity to even play in his multimillion dollar cash cow arena when in reality the reason they have them is because in some form or another they got their riches by figuring out how to spend less and get more. The board room mentality never leaves the owner especially with today’s ownership who are much more involved in their teams day to day operations than ownerships in the past. Majority of owners used to sit back, hire “basketball people” (think Rod Thorn) and let them run the franchise. Nowadays, front offices are being given marching orders by owners who want to be Mark Cuban 2.0. They love the attention of it all, ya know, adding another feather to their billion dollar Stetson.
But players aren’t fond of the okie doke. They are more aware of their influence to the bottom line. They know how those new arenas are coming from. The first superstar to ask those questions from a hands on owner was Magic Johnson. You know, business savvy Magic who hung with Dr Jerry Buss who schooled him on the business side of things and taught him how to leverage his fame to make millions which is why when he signed the 25 year $25 million contract it was a lifetime pact between two equals. Both keenly aware of what the other could do for him.
Michael Jordan was the first billion dollar superstar who went with Nike instead of world leader at the time, Adidas and played their brand right to the top. It was a mutually beneficial opportunity. Nike staked their future on the right athlete and won. It was dangerous for sure, but one who’s reward was huge. Jordan won championships, starred in flossy commercials that exaggerated the image and allowed him to ask and receive the highest salary in basketball.
But Jordan’s symbiosis with Nike and magic’s likewise relationship with the Lakers are rare cases of an individual brand becoming a successful offshoot of a larger one. Dwight like most players in his position want to duplicate the formula even though the marketplace evolves and won’t let him have the same success.
Dwight should take comfort in Lebron’s cautionary tale. Lebron created his own lane with “the Decision” creating that deeper schism between owners and players. That move was a calculated risk that went horribly wrong for him P.R. wise because of factors he failed to consider like he was screwing over his hometown, fallout from whether profits from “the Decision” went to support needy kids, etc. But Lebron proved that any brand can survive even the worst blows if you win a ring. Fulfilling his destiny was enough for most people to forgive Lebron and forget that summer of 2010, where he read the intense interest in his free agent process wrong, and when he signs with Cleveland after next season he will get the other haters back into his fold too.
Dwight isn’t in the running for the best ever title like Lebron is but he can hold another otherworldly title in the NBA. He is the best big man in the game when healthy. He has won 3 defensive player of the year awards. He is a force down low offensively and until last year was developing a set of impressive moves. He now goes to Houston where big man guru Hakeem “the Dream” is available at any time and his coach just happens to be a PF who played like a center and can teach him one of his 80 moves.
For his development as a center and his career this is probably the better decision. The Lakers can lure free agents by virtue of the brand. The Rockets counter that with a very smart front office who always seem to pile up assets to make their next big move. Also, playing in Houston he won’t be under the duress he would have been in LA where the need to win titles is great. He can relax and play his game. He will play for a coach who will cater the gameplan to his strengths and he will play along side a superstar nearing his prime, not beyond it like Kobe.
But the biggest thing Dwight has going for him is his size. Height is a skill by itself, which helps to explain how George Muresan, Shawn Bradley and Frederick Weis were ever given jobs in the Association. The NBA loves to market skilled big men, a group that has seen its numbers dwindle since its golden age in the 90’s where you had Ewing, Mourning, Hakeem, Shaq just to name a few off the top of my head. The league longs for a dominant big man to take the reins and run with it. Roy Hibbert showed how tough it can be to play against a team that has a big man patrolling the paint. Dwight has been and can still be that guy. Its his 10th year in the league but he’s 27. The shelf life of big men isn’t as long as smaller players but Dwight looks to be in phenomenal shape. Yes he is coming off back surgery and shoulder surgery but I think he isn’t comfortable playing under the bright lights of Hollywood and him being in a laid back place like Houston will help.
If he wins a title or two and reasserts his place as the best player at his position we will look back on these days and forget the slandering like it was some made up part of his story. But if he doesn’t the last four years will be a permanent red ink on his résumé that no amount of smiling and posing will erase. At this point Howard has positioned himself in the best place for him to succeed and where he MUST succeed.
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