The “Dwightmare” rivaled LeBron James’ “Decision” from 2010. James followed the decision to take his talents to South Beach with this clown act of a welcoming party for the big three, which played host to James’ infamous “not five, not six, not seven…” speech.
Although James’ actions were rash and blatantly self-promoting, they were carried out as a free agent; the key word being “free.”
By contrast, Howard opted in to another year with the Orlando Magic before handcuffing the organization by forcing a trade out of town. Howard’s actions resembled a young kid kicking and screaming in a Toys "R" Us for the latest toy, while James simply made the best choice for himself and his NBA career (making some admittedly bad choices for his image along the way).
Howard may not have overtaken James’ spot on the pedestal as one of the league’s most hated pariahs in the eyes of some, but he certainly came close.
Now the image rehabilitation process begins for Howard, and that process can get jump-started by the presence of Steve Nash.
Fans around the NBA either love the Lakers, or love to hate them. Kobe Bryant has had more than his fair share of off-court drama, while Andrew Bynum’s on-court drama in a Lakers uniform often became a headache. Nash is the first truly likable NBA star the Lakers have had in years.
As a former back-to-back MVP award winner, Nash created the famous “Run-and-Gun Suns” teams of old when he rejoined the franchise that drafted him out of Santa Clara.
The Nash-led Suns squads won over fans ar...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
