When superstars struggle, there will be drama, you can be sure of that. When the Lakers are involved, that drama is magnified, which is proving to be the perfect storm for Dwight Howard and the media in Los Angeles.
This morning, ESPN’s Chris Broussard chatted with Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio, where he confidently spoke of Dwight’s unhappiness here in the city of Los Angeles, to the extreme where he uses “miserable” to describe the All-Star center who’s been repeatedly criticized for his joking demeanor and shameless smile.
“Dwight is not happy. He’s basically miserable. He doesn’t like the way he’s being used in Mike D’Antoni’s system. He and Kobe don’t have any personal beef but it’s hard for him to play with Kobe. Is Kobe gonna shoot? Is Kobe gonna pass? Dwight would certainly welcome a trade to Brooklyn.”
If you missed Broussard on Mike and Mike in the Morning, chances are you could have caught him expressing these same sentiments all over ESPN throughout the day. Those were some big words from an individual that is well respected in this industry. Thus, it only deemed fit to address these powerful accusations to Howard before Lakers practice today, to which Dwight refuted the statements.
“Listen, I never said anything about none of this stuff. So, if anybody has a report or anything they say about what’s going on, if it’s not from me, then obviously it can’t be true. I’m not going to let this situation defeat me.”
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Dwight Howard’s demeanor is only one of many aspects brought into question over the past few days, and several weeks. Reports (maybe better labeled as rumors) that Howard wants to be traded have continued to circle throughout the media. Again, it was only appropriate to ask Howard if there is any truth to these reports, which is exactly what ESPN’s Shelley Smith did at the end of the media session. Smith asked Howard if there was any part of him that wanted to be traded. His response was simple, yet unclear.
“I just want to win.”
So, Smith continued to prod by asking, “Here? Or, elsewhere?” The response was the same.
“I just want to win.”
Mitch Kupchak confirmed once again today, that Dwight Howard will not be traded before the deadline. Dwight said that Kupchak has been telling him that for the past month and a half.
Yet, Dwight Howard couldn’t find it in him to squash the trade rumors with an even simpler response, “no.” Instead, we are still left with our minds wondering.
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