The big story around this year’s NBA season has been what team will Dwight Howard play for in the future. At the beginning of the year, Dwight told the Orlando Magic’s executives that he would like to be traded to the Lakers, Nets, or Mavericks. The Orlando Magic listened to trade offers the first half of the season, turning them all down hoping Dwight would change his mind and stay with the team. In the words of Jesse Jackson, they were “keeping hope alive”.
The big rumor surfacing throughout the league was Dwight opting out of his deal and joining Deron Williams in New Jersey. This was the obvious plan for the last three months. Orlando even believed this was the plan since Dwight would not accept a max contract with them that would pay him $109 million dollars.
As the trade deadline approached, you heard a new rumor on Dwight every hour of the day. Dwight wants to go to the Lakers. Dwight is going to team up with Derick Rose in Chicago since they are both with Team Adidas. Dwight is going to New Jersey with “D-Will”. You never heard Dwight wanting to stay in Orlando. He even told management that he was not going to stay.
So Orlando management starting fielding offers from the league to seek the best deal they could get for Dwight Howard. In the 11th hour, Dwight Howard developed a conscience and decided to opt-in to one more year with the Orlando Magic for $19 million because he felt like he owed his teammates and the fans of Orlando since he showed such a lack of loyalty throughout the season. What is he thinking? Dwight Howard is that guy who breaks up with his girlfriend and asks her back at the end of the day because he started feeling bad.
People always want to give LeBron a hard time, even myself, but one thing I can respect about LeBron is he did exactly what he wanted to do and didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought. By Dwight staying one more year for $19 million dollars, he risks being hurt and getting paid a whole lot less next summer. If he wanted to stay in Orlando, in the words of DMX in Belly, “GET THE MONEY YO”. He could have signed a max deal for $109 million dollars. If he is staying one more year to be nice to the people of Orlando, that is dumb since you will be a free agent next year and have to go through the same media circus again.
In concluding, Dwight, if you want be the “MAN OF STEEL”, start first by trying to be a MAN!
Brandon McConnell of Respect Da Game, for War Room Sports
Tags: Adidas, All's Fair in Sports and War, Belly, Brandon McConnell, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, DMX, Dwight Howard, Jesse Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, Respect Da Game, Sports Talk Radio, Superman, The War Room, War Room Sports