“I’m like how y’all gonna have a whole Nike commercial about LeBron and Kobe” - Dwight Howard looks back at beating LeBron James and Cavs in 2009 ECF
Dwight Howard was a dominant force in the NBA during his prime. In the late 2000's, the attention was centered around LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, which didn't sit well with the former No. 1 overall pick.
On "Club Shay Shay", Howard discussed the disrespect he received before he led the Orlando Magic to the Finals. At the time, Nike had released a series of puppet ad commercials featuring LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
The commercials teased a potential matchup between the two stars in the Finals. As one of the rising stars back then, Dwight Howard wasn't pleased and this sparked his competitiveness.
Howard said:
"We showed LeBron and the Cavs that hell no, the puppet gotta go for real.
"I'm like, 'How y'all gonna have a whole Nike commercial about LeBron and Kobe in the Finals, and they ain't even in the Finals yet?'
"We wanted to destroy LeBron and the Cavs because of that."
Fans weren't the only ones hoping for a James-Bryant Finals matchup back then. Almost everyone was waiting for it to happen, but Dwight Howard and the Magic had other plans.
10 years ago today, the Magic eliminated the Cavs in the ECF. Meaning we were robbed of LeBron vs. Kobe in the #NBAFinals. Sigh. The basketball gods hated the @Nike muppets. https://t.co/CSAcYUVkAe
Feeling ignored and disrespected, the former franchise player for the Magic took matters in his own hands. Howard defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference that year. In the end, it was Orlando that got a chance to play against the LA Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Teams that could benefit from signing Dwight Howard
Three weeks into the 77th NBA season and Dwight Howard is still a free agent. While he is on the older side, he could stil be an important rotation piece for many teams. Howard was part of the Lakers squad that underachieved under Frank Vogel last season.
Let's take a look at some of the teams which could be a good fit for Howard.
Philadelphia 76ers
Before his third stint in LA, Howard made a one-season stop and joined the Philadelphia 76ers. Signing him would be easy as he's already familiar with Doc Rivers' system. This season, the Sixers don't have a secondary rim protector besides Joel Embiid.
Acquiring the eight-time All-Star could improve their interior defense.
LA Lakers
Before the season started, there were concerns that the Lakers' defense wouldn't be up to par compared to other teams. This came true as the team have struggled to get decent rim protection besides Anthony Davis.
The Lakers organization is already familiar with Howard, so signing him to a minimum deal wouldn't hurt the team.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have started slow this season and their defense hasn't been impressive either. The only reliable interior defender for the Nets is Nic Claxton, who is averaging two blocks per game. However, that may not be enough for a contending team and Howard could be the difference maker on the defensive side.