Could Dwight Howard be the next LeBron James – NBA Special Report
If anyone in the league can draw as much attention as LeBron James, it is Dwight Howard.
There is also no doubting the fact that if, or rather when, the superstar centre enters the free agency, franchises from all over the NBA will be queuing up to secure his signature.
So will Dwight Howard do a LeBron James and leave the Orlando Magic to make his own superstar team?
Yes and no.
The now three-time NBA Defensive player of the year averaged a staggering 14.1 rebounds, 22.9 points and 2.4 blocks a game in the 2010-2011 season. Yet, his team let him down and he crashed out in the first round of the playoffs.
That is not cool with Howard. He wants to win the NBA World Championship, he has said so quite often. However, his stated aim of winning it “with” Orlando Magic could soon become “without” Orlando Magic.
Howard has time and again said that he wants to stay in Orlando and that he wants to win a Championship with the franchise, but as time passes, winning the NBA Championship grows in importance while staying at Orlando shrinks,
"I'm keeping my options open, but there's no other place I'd rather be than Orlando." Said Howard recently, before sending another clear warning, he’s sent a few of them this year, to the Orlando Magic that things needed to change,
"But, at the same time, I do want to win, make sure everything is in line: our team, just everything from top to bottom, everybody is reaching for a championship. It can't be me and a couple other guys. It's gotta be the whole
team - everybody on the staff. It's the same goal: the championship attitude. As of right now, I don't plan to be anywhere else besides Orlando."
Can Orlando Magic do that in a year? Because that’s all the time they have. Howard has refused to sign an extension and said he will only do so after evaluating the circumstances once he enters free agency in 2012. The Magic are
very unlikely to win the NBA World Championship next year, which will leave an unhappy Dwight Howard with a lot of offers from around the league.
What do you think will happen then?
The fact is that Howard is almost certain to leave. The best the Magic can do next year is have a deep run in the playoffs and try and convince him that things are on the up, but it is still unlikely that Howard will stay.
In that respect, Dwight Howard will do as LeBron James did, hence the “Yes” at the start. As for the “No”, here’s why.
Howard has already stayed at the Orlando Magic longer than expected. After the Magic got trumped by a lowly Atlanta Hawks team in the playoffs, many expected Dwight to join the Lakers straight away. Still, he has decided to give
it another year.
The terms of Howard’s departure are not going to be the same as LeBron’s. Dwight is going out fighting; he’s doing all he can for the team. He has also been careful not to antagonize the fans. He will give it another go next season,
as he has promised, and then leave amicably.
Rest assured, there will be no “Decision”, and there won’t be a crazy on stage dance party or anything of that sort. Therefore the reaction that Dwight Howard’s departure generates is going to be very different from what LeBron
James’ did.
Unless, of course, he tells the world that, “I am taking my talents to South Beach”.
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