Since his early days with the Orlando Magic, center Dwight Howard has been one of the most polarizing and scrutinized figures in the NBA. Whether it was because he didn’t take the game seriously enough or because he couldn’t make free throws, Howard has always faced criticism from fans and media over one thing or the other.
Once the single most dominant force in the entire NBA, Howard has since bounced around the NBA as his career has progressed, now on his third team in as many years. Howard played for his hometown Atlanta Hawks last season before being dealt to the Charlotte Hornets earlier this summer.
Apparently, this move brought a whole new mindset along with it for Howard who finally seems comfortable with where he’s at basketball-wise and career-wise. In fact, Howard recently said he is now in a better place ‘mentally, physically, and spiritually’ than he has been in years according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:
“There have been writers who get national attention who have said things about me that stick in people’s minds and in their hearts,” Howard said.
“I’ve allowed things that have been said about me to have an effect on me…”
“This opportunity for myself to really get back everything that I would say has been taken away. I’m not too much worried about the naysayers, the rankings and stuff, but just the hearts of the people,” Howard said. “I’m in a much better place mentally, physically and spiritually than I have been in a couple of years.”
It’s good to hear that Dwight Howard is finally content with where he is at. He and James Harden never really coincided during his days with the Houston Rockets and though it was his hometown, Atlanta never really felt like the right fit. Now with Charlotte, Howard will have the paint all to himself and should be the leading interior presence on a team with playoff aspirations in the Eastern Conference.
With a fresh, positive mindset heading into the season, expect Dwight Howard to look better than he has in years past and for the Hornets to be a sneaky good team in the East.
