Dwight Howard - "After the Ring"

So the drama continues with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. It's really sad because yet another "small market superstar" (see Lebron James) is on the verge of quitting on his team and his city in the pursuit of a championship.

Mike Bianchi absolutely nailed it in his recent article about Dwight Howard and how the press has handled him. If he really thinks it's going to be better for him somewhere else, he's mistaken in my opinion. He's got everything anyone could possibly want in Orlando - every endorsement, every opportunity, every perk he already has.

But he thinks getting out of Orlando is going to improve his chances for a championship? Quiting on your team is never a good thing. There aren't any good deals out there that the team wants, and so they're going to be forced in to a deal that isn't going to return the value that would be reasonable to expect.  So he will either get traded for a less than stellar deal, or he'll leave via free agency and the Magic are still screwed. But somehow, another team, another city will somehow give him what he wants. 

It's as if Orlando isn't good enough for him, even though the organization has fallen all over itself trying to surround him with winners.  The city of Orlando has done the same thing. "He" has an amazing new arena, and has everything he could possibly want in Orlando, but evidently the "small" Orlando market isn't good enough. But remember, he's already arguably the biggest star in the NBA - in Orlando.

So what about his teammates? He wants to be surrounded by winners, so why doesn't he make them in to winners? Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson among others all made others around them better. So why can't Dwight?

Can you think of MJ, Magic, Bird or any of those real superstars jumping ship to go somewhere else to win? I guess they understood the concept of team, and loyalty more than this generation. It's why the NBA of the late 80's and 90's was such an amazing product and this generation of the NBA has players meeting off the court to decide how they're going to scheme to play together.

Just like Lebron James absolutely decimated the Cavaliers and the city of Cleveland due to "his" priorities and - thereby quit on his teammates and his city - and Howard will do the same. Only he won't have ALL the superstars surrounding him that "king" James does, but still can't quite seem to win a championship. It's because winning is about more than "superstars". It takes character, chemistry, loyalty and hard work.

One thing that just occurred to me. Both of these guys went straight to the NBA from high school. They didn't have to work through college to get to the NBA. They were just that talented. However, I wonder if the strength of character that's built by student athletes is something that these guys are missing? There is something to be said for having to work hard as a student and balance the various pressures that college brings.

Evidently these guys seem to think that just by getting "superstars" on the same court winning will just happen. Owners for years have tried to "buy" teams to win championships, but it's really not as successful as you would think. One would think they'd have learned by now that it doesn't always happen that way.

And superstars with their super egos tihnk that another city is going to solve their problems. And they leave destruction in their wake. 

It's sad.He came in to the league talking about how he was going to be different.  I thought Dwight was different. I guess I was wrong.

image by Keith Allison