Dwight Howard
During the 2008-2009 season, Dwight Howard dominated the playoffs and led an underwhelming Magic squad to the NBA Finals, where they got hammered by a superior Lakers squad. After that, everything went downhill.
Nobody escapes the ups and downs of life. Rich people, poor people, men, and women all ride the same roller coaster.
Most folks understand that when things go south, they have responsibilities and that they must keep grinding. We don’t give up during the bad times, and sooner or later, life autocorrects and good things start to happen.
Howard isn’t like most people. After he conquered the Eastern Conference on his way to the championship round, he didn’t push hard to get back on top of the basketball world. Instead, his basketball career went down, down, down the rabbit hole until he hit “rock-bottom.”
Dwight’s used up eight out of his nine basketball lives by gorging on candy, or offending his teammates, or not giving enough effort on the court. That doesn’t matter, though. One more chance is enough for Howard to make amends and change his fortune.
Now, as Howard tries to make the most of his last opportunity in the association, he finds himself on the Lakers, a squad overloaded with point guards and wings, and lacking depth at the center position. The Lakers will gravely need “Superman” to play sound basketball for extended stretches during the 2019-2020 season.
Through the first portion of preseason, Howard hasn’t disappointed. Rather, he’s looked fantastic. Dwight’s lost weight, he’s had a great approach at practice and during practice games, and the other Lakers seem to like him.
It feels like Howard’s going to seize this final chance and finally trudge out of the massive hole he dug for himself over the last half-decade. For the first time in years, his basketball career is primed to go up.
Howard’s finally ready to win his first title.