Dwight Howard was never going to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers if you ask Steve Nash.
Speaking with the Los Angeles-based “Mason & Ireland Show” on ESPN Radio (via Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times), the Lakers point man didn’t believe the team had a chance at retaining Howard leading into that meeting.
“Frankly, I thought before the meeting that we really didn’t have a chance,” he said. “I’d like to think that after the meeting, we had a chance, but ultimately, I think Dwight wasn’t comfortable here and didn’t want to be here.”
Count on Nash to be as elegantly honest as anyone else in the game.
Howard wasn’t comfortable in Hollywood. At all. He was out of his element, something that was clear from Day 1. He didn’t know how to handle the extra media attention and fan scrutiny, and never really seemed to embrace the high expectations that came with sporting purple and gold.
So he left, maybe even well before that free-agency meeting took place. Nash thinks so, anyway. He believes that Howard had checked out long before he announced he would be joining James Harden and the Houston Rockets.
“If he doesn’t want to be here, there’s no point for anyone in him being here, so we wish him the best and move on,” Nash explained. “I heard he said to the media that he never quite felt embraced in L.A. He never quite felt maybe supported, and that’s basically it. In some ways you can read into that what you will.”
Let’s read into it then, shall we?
Dwight was supported, and if he was too blind to see that support, then it’s no wonder his free-throw shooting percentage is so embarrassing. The Lakers clothed the city of Los Angeles with posters and billboards imploring him to stay. They were willing to roll out as many red carpets as it took to get him to re-sign. That’s appreciation. He just wasn’t ready; he wasn’t prepared to embrace Los Angeles himself.
Playing in Kobe Bryant’s shadow didn’t appeal to him, being used as a pick-and-roll big in Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system didn’t peak his interest and representing a mecca of perfectionists didn’t sit well with him. That’s why I believe he left.
Winning in Houston definitely had something to do with it. The idea of playing next to a top-10 superstar in Harden, surrounded by a surplus of shooters definitely appealed to Howard. And I don’t doubt he truly believes the Rockets present him with the best possible opportunity to win. But I also believe that a part of him was scared. Not just to play alongside Kobe and under Magic Mike, but to be held to this ridiculous standard the Lakers are held to.
Why else would he have felt under appreciated? Because of the trade rumors that followed him throughout the season? Constantly being surrounded by rumors and the like comes with the territory of playing in a big market. You know, the locale Howard supposedly wanted to take his talents to in order to further his brand, expand his reach and yeah, win a title.
Time will tell if Howard made the right decision. Houston could be the right place for him; he may even win a championship a there. Or perhaps he won’t have a shot at a title. Just like the Lakers didn’t have a shot at re-signing him.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
