We’ll compare two of the most different people on the Los Angeles Lakers; Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard.
Dwight Howard’s built like a 6’11” Greek god in the middle for the Los Angeles Lakers.
There are no exact numbers regarding how many people in America are 6’11” or taller. The best estimates conclude that at present there are about 250 total people in the USA that are at least as tall as Dwight Howard. That means, Howard’s height alone, makes him one in a million.
Most people who dream about becoming professional athletes focus on their diet. They continuously do research about the best foods to consume, and they tweak their eating routines until they find the perfect balance of proteins and nutrients that allow them to perform at peak levels during contents.
Not Dwight Howard. He ate up to the equivalent of 24 candy bars per day. His food intake was so amazingly awful that in 2012 while playing for the Lakers, he could barely run up and down the court and catch passes, because his legs and hands constantly tingled. His limbs were rendered almost useless from the superabundance of sugar flowing through his veins.
When Howard was in his prime, he had the body of a supernatural being sent from another galaxy to dominate basketball games. He looked god-like while eating a diet that would have made 99.9% of Americans obese and diabetic.
Howard could have been the best basketball player ever. He could have been Shaq on offense and Bill Russell on defense. Dwight’s height, body type, metabolism, and natural talent were such a perfect amalgamation that he was a one in a billion caliber basketball player.
He should have dominated the NBA in a way never seen before. If “Superman” had given even 70% of the effort that Kobe Bryant put in, he would have multiple MVP trophies lining his shelves at home.
Instead, he spent his time doing other things. Besides shoving candy down his throat like a zombie feeding on the dead, he also angered many of his teammates.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how Dwight Howard’s teammates or coaches felt about him;
Stan Van Gundy reviled him.
Kobe Bryant and James Harden openly hated him.
His Hawks teammates detested him so much that after he was traded to the Hornets, they shrieked with joy.
Here’s what Dennis Schroder, Howard’s ex-teammate, had to say about him after he was dealt from Atlanta;
"“He plays always great against his former team. Credit to him too, but that’s like four games each year, you know? Houston, L.A., us. I think he’s always giving his best there but the others games he (shrugs).”"
His teammates in Charlotte also loathed him.
Former NBA player Brendan Haywood said this about Howard’s time on the Hornets;
"“The locker room did not like Dwight Howard,”"
Howard’s wasted his immense natural gifts. At the same time, Alex Caruso’s worked hard to make use of every single ounce of innate ability flowing through his veins.
Alex Caruso, at 6’5”, 185 pounds, is a taller version of you or me. He’s not built like a basketball deity; his body looks like a lankier rendering of John McEnroe.
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He certainly doesn’t devour five chocolate bars right after he wakes up, and then pour an economy-sized bags of Skittles down his throat just to get going in the morning.
Caruso’s teammates don’t hate him. In fact, they love him.
Last season, Lonzo Ball went down with an ankle injury that cut his year in half. As Lonzo sat on the bench, Rajon Rondo took over the majority of the Lakers point guard duties, but he stood around on defense like a parking pylon, which forced Luke Walton to look elsewhere.
Walton’s search led to the oft-forgotten, Alex Caruso.
Caruso went from playing a total of 1.7 minutes in February to averaging 23 minutes per game over 14 contests in March.
During March, Caruso didn’t just play well, he grabbed the game of basketball by the throat and manhandled it with every ounce of energy and passion that he had to give because he knew if he didn’t play superbly, his career in the association could have been over.
Alex played inspired defense. He finished the year with the 19th best defensive rating in the NBA, and he held his assignment to nearly eight percentage points below their average field goal percentage, good for first among all guards in the league.
On offense, Alex shot an outstanding 48% clip from downtown. Plus, he attacked the rim like a madman.
Caruso fought like a Kung Fu master for the right to stay in the NBA, and his teammates were cheering for him the whole way.
Every time Caruso dunked, hit a 3-pointer, or got a steal, it brought the entire Lakers bench (LeBron included) off their feet in pure delight. That kind of love for a teammate can’t be faked, every player on the Purple and Gold was genuinely fond of Caruso, and they applauded for their friend every chance they could get.
Caruso got one chance last season to show what he can do, and he made the most of it. Dwight Howard’s been given numerous opportunities over the last half-decade, but every time he’s blown it.
Recently we’ve been able to see videos of Howard practicing his 3-point shooting, or dunking in Venice Beach, or showing off his purple Thanos-inspired Rolls Royce, while Alex Caruso’s worked on his game in the shadows. You won’t find absurd clips of Caruso displaying his arsenal of cars or of Alex exhibiting his shooting stroke.
Caruso played four years at Texas A&M before going undrafted. Then he toiled in the G-League, before signing a two-way contract with the Lakers.
Howard chose to skip college and go directly to the NBA. He was selected with the first overall pick by the Magic.
After watching Alex Caruso’s brilliant basketball display at the end of last season, Rob Pelinka signed him to a two-year, $5.5 million deal.
After observing Howard dog it on the court and blow up locker room after locker room, Rob Pelinka signed him to a non-guaranteed contract.
Caruso’s a true underdog who’s doing everything possible to carve out a role in the NBA. Conversely, Howard is one of the most naturally gifted players to ever enter the NBA, and he’s done everything imaginable to destroy his career and retire early.
Caruso and Howard are vastly different people, who’ve each navigated remarkably diverse roads before arriving on the Lakers present-day roster.
Dwight and Alex are incredibly dissimilar, but each man possesses a skill-set that Frank Vogel and the Lakers organization need.
Folks in LA have been gifted the opportunity to watch these two contrasting players try to find individual success, whether it’s Dwight fighting his personal demons, or it’s Alex rebelling against the notion that he’s not athletic enough to be an everyday player in the NBA.
As the 2019-2020 season progresses, we can all sit back and hope that Alex Caruso and Dwight Howard find basketball glory, and in the process they also help the Purple and Gold march towards a championship.