Dwight Howard was once again out doing an event for his fans. This time, he worked at Champs Sports, but he still had one thing on his mind – a championship.
"And on Tuesday, when Howard worked the register at the Champs Sports store at Florida Mall as a promotion for the NBA Store and adidas, the all-star center saw the appeal the team now has after reaching the NBA Finals last spring.Now, Howard dreams of how that passion would only soar if the Magic can win the NBA championship this season.“I think it would change Orlando. Me and my friends have talked a lot about that and we actually talked about it today. A championship would mean so much to this city and what would happen around here would be incredible,’’ said Howard, who was dressed in a Champs Sports shirt. “We want it so bad, not only for ourselves but also for our city. That’s why I was so hurt last year when we lost.”"
John Denton has that story here.
Mickael Pietrus is ready to go.
"Coach Stan Van Gundy said after Tuesday’s practice that Pietrus “was ready to go full out today.”Carter said he jammed his right big toe on Sunday playing against the Denver Nuggets at Amway Arena, leaving the game after a minute and a half.“It’s feeling better. It’s one of the things you walk on every day,” Carter said. “It’s going to be sore, of course, but at the same I’m still going to try to make an appearance.”"
Pietrus will play Thursday night in Dallas. You can find that story here.
Dwight Howard thinks the MVP race should be settled in the postseason.
"“What I do is not flashy. I don’t do it with a lot of style,” Howard said. “The MVP is something good for your resume, but I want a (championship) ring. I want the Finals MVP. That’s better than winning the regular season MVP.”As hard as he tries to dance past the subject of not being considered seriously for the NBA’s most prestigious individual award today, Howard is bothered quietly that his dominance as the league’s best center the past couple years is overshadowed by the highlights made by perimeter players."
Tim Povtak has that story here.
Brian Schmitz went one-on-one with Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy on some lighter topics.
"Q: The mustache. How long have you had the thing?A: Sophomore or junior in college….that’s going back 31, 32 years. My kids want me to shave it off. They just want to see what I look like. They said I can grow it back. I never have. I’m not one to change a whole lot and it’s been 31 years or so. Maybe some day I will."
You can find that interview here.
Ryan Anderson is looking for someone to add lyrics to his beat for a playoff theme song. You can see the details of that contest here.
Speaking of Anderson, Philip Rossman-Reich weighs in on the Anderson-Brandon Bass debate. You can read that story here.
We touched on Hedo Turkoglu yesterday. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star has more on Turk here.
Adonal Foyle would love to become a GM one day. You can read more about Foyle’s desire to become a GM here.
(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger and a contributor at NFL Mocks and Sir Charles In Charge. Subscribe to his RSS feed, add him on Twitter to follow him daily and you can get the HTD app here).