Dwight Howard’s Making Leaps in His Game, Not a Leap To Another Team
He was the Defensive Player of the year in 2008-09. He was the leading vote-getter in voting for the All Star Game. He came in 4th in MVP voting last season. He led the league in rebounds over the past 2 seasons and vowed to add the league lead in blocks last season, which he did. He also lead his team to the NBA finals and helped them earn their first ever victory in a finals game.
Dwight Howard has turned into one of the faces of the entire NBA and now he wants to become more than just an NBA superstar, he wants to be a movie star as well. He has filmed scenes for the movie “Valentine’s Day” and the movie “Just Wright.” Dwight has been promoting his second video game cover – he will be on the cover of EA Sports’ “NBA Live 10” and is currently in China with Chicago Bulls’ PG Derrick Rose. The two of them will tutor teenage basketball players and entertain fans who have fallen in love with Dwight over in Shanghai. Dwight has also expressed interest in having his own reality show.
"“If y’all are watching,” Dwight said as he playfully pointed to the TMZ camera, “help your boy get a TV show.”"
Due to Dwight’s many ventures during the offseason after the most successful season of his career, he is receiving a few criticisms and the Orlando media is becoming increasingly worried that his Hollywood aspirations will lead him to follow in Orlando’s first great Center’s footsteps. They think he may bolt to the Lakers for a Hollywood lifestyle just like Shaq did.
This seems a little bit ridiculous. Sure, Dwight is a young All-Star Center just like Shaq was. Sure Dwight lead the Magic to the NBA Finals just like Shaq did. Sure Dwight seems to have a larger than life personality and tries to find the humor in everything just like Shaq did (and still does). And sure Dwight even calls himself Superman, something that Shaq is fond of doing. Shaq has the Superman emblem all over his house and even has the emblem tattooed on his arm.
This all means nothing. Dwight has already done something Shaq hasn’t done (and I don’t mean actually winning a game and avoiding a sweep in his trip to the NBA finals). In July of 2007, Dwight signed a five-year contract extension worth around $80 million.
Whether that is true or not, he still has three years remaining on that five-year contract.
"“While I’m young and still have my smile and everything, I want to try to do more of these,” said Dwight, who is a self-described movie freak. “This is a great experience, and I don’t want to wait until I’m old and not playing anymore to try to do stuff like this. I want to do it while I’m young.”"
This doesn’t necessarily sound like someone who wants to bolt to LA. It sounds like a young man who wants to market himself and have the most fun he possibly when he has the best chance to do so. The Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi, on the other hand, is nervous ad he believes that other Magic fans should be too.
"“Seriously, don’t we have to at least wonder if Dwight is getting stars in his eyes just like Shaq did all those years ago? And couldn’t he someday follow Shaq’s red-carpet path to Hollywood to play for the Lakers?”"
Could he follow in Shaq’s footsteps? Of course. Will he? I don’t see it.
Magic General Manager Otis Smith sounds like he feels the same way.
"“Besides,” Smith said. “I think the day and time is gone where you have to relocate to be a big star. We have a global economy now. You don’t have to move to L.A. to market yourself.”"
With Dwight’s comments and commitment to the Magic, I don’t think the big man will move to Los Angeles. He has gone on record, making a famous (well, famous in Orlando) quote after signing that extension.
"“Me and Mickey Mouse will be here forever.”"
The other criticism of Dwight Howard’s offseason that many in the media have made is that Howard is not working on his game and not practicing enough. Dwight answered this one himself a couple weeks ago through his blog on his official website.
"“Some folks in Orlando are concerned that I’m not working enough on basketball while I’m doing all of this traveling, but yall have nothing to worry about. Everywhere I go my two trainers go with me. Just last week, we were going through workout sessions at 5:30 in the morning and again in the afternoon. We usually spend 90 minutes a day in the weight room and 90 minutes on the court. Trust me, I’m working harder this summer than I’ve ever worked in my life.”"
Sounds good to me. John Denton also wrote an article about just how hard Dwight has been working this offseason and you can find that here.
The most impressive thing that Denton had to say about Howard was the way he has been working on his 15 foot jumper. If Dwight could consistently hit that jumper, he’d be nearly unstoppable.
"In five NBA seasons, Howard could count the number of 15-foot jump shots he’s made in game on one hand. But to watch the video footage from a recent workout now, Howard looks like a young Tim Duncan what with the way he’s drilling shots from all over the court."
Sounds like Dwight is still working hard and knows what aspect of his game he must improve the most.
"“I’ve been all around the country, but it’s been fun,” Howard said recently. “This has been one of the best summers I’ve had my entire life.”“Everywhere that I go my trainers have been with me. I’m working every day to get better,” Howard said."
Howard has brought trainers with him on every trip he is made, so that he can become a better all-around player and most importantly a better shooter. In fact, one of his trainers that he takes with him on the road is a specialist in shooting, mainly free throw shooting which is Howard’s biggest glaring weakness.
Magic fans should not be worried about Dwight’s work ethic or his Hollywood aspirations leading him away from Orlando. Dwight is an extremely hard worker and is working harder than ever this summer. Orlando’s former big man may have jumped at the chance to leave for Hollywood, but Orlando’s present big man looks like he is happy visiting Hollywood in the off-season while trying to bring Orlando it’s first championship during the regular season.
(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger.Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily. .)