Olajuwon offers Howard some advice
Anyone familiar with the NBA knows that Orlando Magic centre Dwight Howard is an impressive physical specimen. His 6ft 11in frame has helped him become one of the best rebounders and shot-blockers
in the entire league. He is the centrepiece of a Magic team that is always a threat to go deep in the play-offs.
But he has a long way to go in terms of his offensive arsenal while many also believe the playful Howard doesn’t yet have that killer instinct that existed in most NBA greats.
Enter Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the most dominant centres in the history of the NBA.
After the Magic went down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Olajuwon, who has worked in the past with Kobe Bryant, gave Howard a call to offer some advice.
“I got a chance to analyze his behavior. You see the athletic ability and power, but you don’t see a lot of creativity offensively,” said Olajuwon. “He just can’t be afraid to open up
his game.”
Howard, who is known as a jokester around the NBA, was told by Olajuwon to shed his happy-go-lucky attitude on the court.
After the phone call, Howard became far more aggressive, pushing the Boston Celtics to six games in the series before falling short. The two players trained for five days together during
the NBA Finals, working on various post-moves.
“I realized I had an extra gear and that I could be more of a vocal leader and push myself to an extra level,” said Howard.
In addition to toning down his playfulness on the court, Olajuwon felt Howard could be more of a finesse player.
“He just needs to take advantage of his speed and quickness,” said Olajuwon. “He doesn’t always need to power his way through people.”
And Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has taken notice of Howard’s new approach to the game. And he likes what he sees.
“The one thing is when you are light-hearted all of the time and tend to goof around a lot it’s hard to have that credibility,” Van Gundy said. “It has to be more of a habit and this year
you could see it. I don’t think there’s anybody who has played with him before who doesn’t see a huge difference in his approach.”
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