@DwightHoward Grew into his "Big Man" Pants

Some people and organizations believe they are karma resistant; Americans love those who  live by the “get it done now and to hell with consequences” creed- and if you win just rewrite the history with your own rationale. In sports the winners can always re frame the discussion and the fans eat it up because we want to believe in the hero’s created off of the backs of those who got screwed in the deal. Yesterday Dwight Howard chose the Houston Rockets, and many of you believe he’s a “loser” for shunning the #Lakers; I believe this shift in power was sown in 2003 when Kobe Bryant showed a much better version of Howard (@SHAQ) the door. Michael Jordan recently identified Kobe Bryant as being similarly “cursed” and he was right, what else would make a man in his position walk into a “pitch” meeting and talk “at” someone who is in no mood (nor need) of his bullshit. “I’m gonna win more Championships so you can roll with me or with guys who don’t know how to do it”. Really? Two years ago we thought LeBron and Chris Bosh wouldn’t “know” how to do “it”, and they seem to have figured it out despite Kobe having done “it” 5 times. In case you were wondering Dwight Howard is 27 years old and he is about to join a 23 year old (@JHarden13) who isn’t the least bit “scurd” of Kobe’s ass-and yet Kobe and the Lakers just didn’t get “it”. The Lakers as a brand is convinced they are immortal, and that is a recipe for disaster in a world much faster than the one they tossed Shaquille O’Neal off into TEN years ago.

I knew Howard would leave, because the 2008 “coup” engineered by the under 30 NBA crowd was not designed for the purpose of elevating Kobe-but excising his tyranny once and for all. And it worked- but will Laker Nation “Get it”. Clearly they don’t, because if they did they would have understood Bryant had no more business in that pitch meeting than Jordan at the HOF Podium- they remind me of the Narcissistic spouse who can’t say those three words (I need you) that women need to hear. And there are all indications they’ll remain delusional as a fan base into the 2014 Free Agency season that Kobe Bryant will step to LeBron James- a player who has been his superior since 2007 with the same type arrogance. Who will have the balls to step in and tell Kobe, “look, you can’t teach LeBron James shit, in fact you’re off the books & we don’t need you”. I can hear Kobe now, “we got cap space and we’re the Lakers” to the approval of an audience that still believes LA and New York are the center of an ever changing universe- just ask Carmelo how that premise is working out. Brands have staying power, but management styles change daily; @dmorey was “Obama like” in the relentless 24/7/365 campaign to get Howard dating as far back as 2011- his campaign didn’t stop despite the Lakers leasing the center in 2013!. He knew they (LA) was “slippin” and once he got the young stud the Rockets were a player. Remember, back in 2011 the IPhone was a status symbol and now based on Jay Z’s involvement it’s your mom’s phone- shit can change. When you put up a Billboard you’ve already crossed into the modern frontier, and I’m OK with it, but don’t put a prompt (STAY) on the damned thing when we all know you need to be putting in a plea. Have the good sense to beg when it’s time to beg! The Lakers were archaic in their pompous need to maintain dignity when we don’t live in dignified times, hell 40% of the celebrities that attend their games are famous for absolutely nothing-this aint the 1980’s man.

And let’s get something straight, the Laker Big Man Tradition is a Myth!

Hakeem Olajuwon is a God in Houston, and Yao is beloved despite promise unfulfilled, and I’m sure they told Howard how much better it is to be a Rocket “Big” than a Laker. Historically the Lakers “get” the big man, but getting him and loving him are two different things, just ask yourself why Laker big men all seem to have the same chip on their shoulder?. George Mikan was a Minneapolis Laker, and he remained a Minnesota mainstay for years, even heading a task force that was instrumental in the Timberwolves coming to fruition. He ran for Congress in Minnesota and did his business in Minnesota; his statue is in front of the Target Center where it belongs. The only thing he “did” as an LA Laker was a photo-shoot when Shaquille O Neal was acquired-so like all things in “La La land” his role as an “LA Laker” was make believe. Wilt came there for the party, the movies and the chicks, and he wasn’t welcomed back as a presence after his playing days because Jerry West was more beloved-the “true” Laker. Wilt was 1-3 in “purple and gold” championship play, noted for sitting out with injury against Boston in 69’ and allowing Willis Reed to limp around for a couple of minutes in 71’ to inspire the Knicks. He openly clashed with Butch Van Breda Koff and didn’t “mesh” well with West and Baylor-and Howard was told to shut up and be a good Laker? The same people who point to the rafters talking about the “Bigman” tradition would have “killed” Wilt if he were playing today, the problem is many can’t even remember Kareem’s moody ass.

Kareem was not embraced by Wilt and was overshadowed by Magic Johnson within 5 years of showing up, despite being a champion Bruin and Laker, he had to wait behind a Hockey Player and underachieving Boxer to get a freaking statue!. Kareem had to resort to coaching for free to get his career started, and he wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy towards Shaquille O’Neal either. Andrew Bynum couldn’t wait to get away from him, and he had to hear about Howard for two years despite being a two time champ and walking “double/ double”. The Lakers were Howards 4^th trade option last year, and when he got there the first thing he asked for (Phil Jackson) was tabled in favor of Jim Buss’s ego- nice start. Someone clearly don’t want you, yet you buy an audition date and then have the nerve to try and get all “dog” the next day? When Mike D’Antoni came in on a Wednesday another accomplished Bigman (Pau Gasol) was on the bench by Friday- and he was directly responsible for making Kobe “Mr. Immortal/Winner/Killer guy”. He bailed Kobe’s ass out when Kobe realized that being like Mike was actually kind of hard, and in return he got called “soft” whenever the team failed. It took Kobe half the season to even notice Gasol’s benching, he was too busy chucking it up and usurping D’Antoni’s authority  for his own purposes-way to take care of the “big dogs” Kobe.

And now #Lakers have to pretend they haven’t been talking to him like a chump for 3 years and openly considering putting an Amnesty tag on his ass. They’ve been trading him for years, and now he’s probably looking at Dwight and thinking “damn, I wish I were you”. The Lakers have always been hostile towards Big men in indulgence of “fan favorite” guards-it’s the worst kept secret in Basketball history. Dwight Howard didn't want to be on that list, he stared the Mamba in the face and said "no thanks".

Bynum has to be getting a chuckle out of the #Lakers being told like an old cougar that they may be “hot” but not “young people hot”…because there’s is a difference. Shaq was so bitter from his treatment at the hands of Kobe and the Lakers he dogged Howard incessantly to make himself feel better, now you tell me who the hell needs that shit? If the Laker Bigman Tradition was so great you could get them in the same room over the last 30 years, and not just when you want the next bigman either - they’re like Hefners wives-far apart and aware of just how empty it all was. LeBron is in Miami winning on family, sharing the ball, and trust while Dwight Howard was expected to be a Dennis Rodman to Kobe’s “Jordan”; it was never going down like that ya’ll. When Kobe said he could “teach” @DwightHoward how to be a “champ” I’m sure Howard was thinking about how the “up and under” moves (McHale) and footwork (@DR34M) he will learn in Houston could get him “there” soooooo much faster.

And you shouldn’t blame him, the Lakers will be alright once they establish a plan for turning the Kobe page but until then they’ll have to absorb this “L”. Hopefully they look in the mirror and at #24, but given what we’ve seen all of last year I doubt it. They allowed him to call Howard a “3^rd option” before he got off the plane and they facilitated the bullshit character assassinations from fans before and after the so called betrayal. They alienated the only Alpha Male (Phil Jackson) who could tell Kobe his 30 shots to Dwight’s 5 were not productive Basketball and they refuse to accept that handing the financial and spiritual keys over to an MJ knockoff may just might end badly. Tradition is a slippery slope, and the one thing bedrock brands have to do is realize when “not” to depend so much on history- sometimes it’s best to follow for a while and get (young and)hungry again. Maybe then they’ll have the courage to move Kobe along to make room for the next Laker great instead of assuming the next class of elite (Draft and FA’s of 2014) is clamoring to rebuild a delusional empire.

 A Little Insight on Shaq and Kareem

Shaq is throwing shade but he's secretly relieved, Howard is now reviled in LA and he can now benefit from a resurgence of the LA love he wasn't getting. In my opinion Kobes first 3 Rings came by way of playing with the dominant O'Neal but it's easy to forget how the city unanimously sided with Bryant over the years. That "little" city Howard went to just happens to be the home of the one man that made Shaq look like a damned fool on the basketball court, a man a whole 2 inches shorter than Howard. It's not like there was any love waiting on Howard in LA, why hang out in a city where all previous Centers are threatened by one another when you can hang with Hakeem the Dream- a model of serenity?. In Houston Dwight will get nothing but love, guidance and instruction from a guy that beat Kareem when he was still a kid and took Shaq to school in the finals. There was nothing positive to be learned from Kareem and Shaq' just a lot of sniping and cold shoulders.