From the Magic to the Lakers to the Rockets to the Hawks, what path did Howard take?
Towns, Boshen, Jokic and other young big men seem to have become the spokesman of the interior player, back to his hometown Howard was almost forgotten by everyone. Howard had 22 points and 20 rebounds as the Hawks beat the 76ers 99-92 today. It was Howard's third double-20 of the season. We all understand that he is no longer the "warcraft" that hid the sky, and the status of the Eagles is not high, but in his view, it is a very happy thing to be able to play for the hometown team, and the past experiences of those terrible memories let it go.
He was the first center in the league, was the interior pillar of the Magic, was the hope of the Lakers, was the star of the Rockets' dreams, and even came out of the "single exchange James" classic. But now back in his hometown, he has gradually faded from the mainstream media's view, even though his team is still fifth in the Eastern Conference. Howard is no longer the all-powerful "Warcraft" of the year, and his physical quality and strong personal data are almost taken away by time. Today, Howard contributed 22 points and 20 rebounds, which has been his rare high light data this season, compared to many years ago. From Orlando to Los Angeles to Houston and Atlanta, what path did Howard take?
In Game 6 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, Howard scored 40 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help his team beat James' Cavaliers, giving the Magic their first Eastern Conference title since 1995. Howard was at the top of his game at Orlando, where he was named Defensive Player of the year three years in a row, winning four rebounding titles and two shot blocking titles. "There's no question I'm going to be in the Hall of Fame," Howard said in an interview with ESPN. "Look at what I've done in Orlando, I've won Defensive Player of the Year three years in a row, which was unprecedented, I've been the rebounder for years in a row, and considering that, I think I deserve the Hall of Fame." However, in August 2012, Howard was sent to the Lakers, and it was said at the time that he had deep problems with coach Big Van Gundy, and eventually was traded by the team. After leaving the Magic, Howard has been very secretive about the events of that year, but now he finally tells some of the inside story. "It was still in the lockout [in 2011], the season hadn't even started, and I had a private conversation with my teammate (Jameer) Nelson and general manager (Chris) Otis," Howard recalled. "I told them I wanted to make a change. It had nothing to do with Coach Van Gundy, it had nothing to do with my teammates or the organization.
"At the time, the magic management told me that they would try to trade me away, and I already shook hands with my teammates," Howard continued, "I asked the Magic to trade me to Brooklyn, I thought that would happen, but the Magic decided not to trade me." So all sorts of things came out, people said what I was doing in the dressing room, but I was never that kind of person. I told my agent the team wanted me to stay and let's not argue about it until the end of the season." "There was a lot going on behind the scenes," Howard said. "They put me on the wrong side of Orlando, a city I love and I've been trying to change the culture of basketball here, and it hurt me." However, he still hopes that his jersey can be retired in the Magic. "I left with some regrets, but a lot of good things happened while I was playing in Orlando," Howard said. "The Magic went from being a team that was looked down upon to being a team that opponents didn't take lightly. They knew it was going to be a tough fight against us."
Magic fans put up signs asking Warcraft to stay
Looking back, Howard's joining the Lakers and Rockets was definitely a turning point in his career, the two teams that were in a chaotic period were his Waterloo, and it was because of these two signings that he began to go downhill. It is said that when Howard first walked into the Lakers locker room, he said, "Let's take all the thorns out of it and let's play like a team." But no one responded to him. The Lakers were never about the team. It was Kobe's team. After Howard joined the team, the relationship between him and Bryant was remarkable, and the personalities of the two superstars could not be more different. But in Howard's mind, he and Bryant just met at the wrong time. "I don't think it was the right time for us to work together, when we were at different points in our careers and Kobe was at the end of his career," Howard said. "A lot of things between us were exaggerated." He added: "I never had a problem with him. I told him the same thing I told Steve Nash and the other players. I want to learn from them. I want to get more knowledge. One day when you're out of the league and I'm still playing, I can pass that knowledge on to someone else."
This lineup because of injuries and other reasons, did not play expected and Kobe Bryant parted ways, Howard teamed up with another top shooting guard, James Harden. In his first season with the Rockets, Howard helped them reach the Western Conference finals while they were probably still in their honeymoon phase. But then he was completely blue-collar, the tactical status of the decline led to his disagreement with Harden rumors, although Harden has repeatedly said that he and Howard have no contradiction, but the rockets only got the eighth Western Conference and the first round of the playoffs were eliminated is an undisputed fact. Talking about his final season with the Rockets, Howard said somewhat reluctantly: "I don't think it ended the way it should have. I think we did some good things in Houston. We made it to the Western Conference finals, which was a great achievement because nobody expected us to do that. The problem that was said to have happened between me and Harden was a small communication problem, not that we couldn't play together. But as I've always said, on a personal level, I don't have a problem with Harden. Why? Everything he's doing, everything he's trying to do, that's what I've been thinking about. Awards, everything, accolades, I'm not there to compete with him, I want to win with him."
The conflict between Howard and Harden is known to every player in the Rockets
In fact, as early as the summer of 2013, the Hawks had recruited Howard, but he eventually chose the Rockets. "I don't think it was the right time," Howard said. "I always dreamed about coming to Atlanta. That could have been great, but I saw what happened with the Rockets and that was something really special." After Waterloo, Howard was a little disheartened, but he found warmth by joining his hometown team, the Hawks. "After I announced I was coming home, all I heard was encouragement from people back home who welcomed me," Howard said. "I was touched. I hadn't had that much support in a long time." Back home, he was a changed man, and before every game, he was the first to come to the arena. While the number of shots per game is a career low, the 12.9 rebounds per game is the highest since 2012, and the 62.4% true shooting rate is the second highest of his career. "I'm proud that my body feels great," Howard said. "People will say I'm old, my body is failing, I have to take care of myself, and I feel pretty good."
After Howard announced his return home, the reaction of the fans made him very moved, he has not been so many people's support for a long time, "there is no denying that I have lost some of the passion for basketball," he told reporters, "mainly because of what happened in the Magic, and some people's evaluation of me after I left the Lakers." I had back surgery when I came to the Lakers, but I was still averaging close to 20 points and 14 rebounds a game, and people said I wasn't doing my best. I was recovering from back surgery, and I was supposed to be in control, but I fought hard because I wanted to win. After going through all that, I felt that basketball was just a business, and that kind of thinking can make you lose some of your love for basketball, and I went home in the summer of 2016 and found that feeling for basketball again. I've always wanted the opportunity to play for my hometown team in Atlanta, which will always be special to me." Howard plans to play in the league for 20 years, but this year is only his 13th season, and all the previous bumps have turned into motivation for him to continue. "I want to win every day and never stop," Howard said. "I've been through a lot of adversity and you have no choice but to make yourself better through it.
"