You would think that things might be a little less awkward for Dwight Howard on the Inside The NBA panel since Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t on set for his appearance, but Howard’s guest cameo turned into an intervention of sorts led by Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
Smith started by asking Howard about his bracelets, almost some subtle foreplay before Barkley came with the real goods, asking Howard about why he thinks people don’t like him. They went on to ask him about his feelings on the small-ball era and the concept of the big man potentially dissolving.
Credit to Howard: he was very straightforward about his frustrations. In responding to Barkley’s past criticisms of him not being engaged during games, Howard admitted to not feeling motivated sometimes if he doesn’t feel involved in what’s happening on the floor. He also talked about his drive to be a better player.
The conversation went into the direction of Barkley and Smith offering their elderly advice to Howard. They both gave positive feedback while even getting into Dwight’s business as it relates to this coming offseason. Dwight was asked about his approach as he is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with Houston. Ironically enough, Kenny Smith’s name is in the air as a candidate for the Houston Rockets head coaching vacancy.
No matter how you feel about the guy, his demeanor during this interview, which frankly could have gone awfully for him, does make you curious as to what the immediate future holds for Dwight Howard on the tail end of his career.
