Dwight Calls Out the Kobe/LeBron Love-Fest
Dwight Howard (photo. Mannion)
Mo Williams isn’t the first person to give Dwight Howard and the Magic motivational bulletin board material. On his blog, Dwight insists that the public love affair with Kobe and LeBron has been at the root of Orlando’s recent success.
I told ya’ll the other day that we find it really disrespectful that everybody seems to be pulling for LeBron and Kobe to get to the Finals. Every time I look at TV, it seems like that’s all anybody is talking about. It’s like nobody is even giving us a shot at winning this series and we’ve used it as motivation.
We’re up 2-to-1 and we have a long way to go vs. the Cavs, but hopefully we can mess up those plans of getting Cleveland and L.A. in the Finals. If the lil’ ol’ Magic make it, what will they say then?
We’ve got to get two more wins, but we really think we can win this series. If we move the ball to keep their bigs on the run, defend and rebound, we feel like we can beat anybody. We play like that, we can do it this year. People laughed a couple of years ago when I talked about bringing a championship to Orlando. But if we keep playing the right way, anything is possible now.
Aiiight, ya’ll I guess I gotta go watch another one of these LeBron and Kobe commercials on TV. Naw, just kiddin.
I totally understand what Dwight is saying. He’s right that the Magic still don’t get much respect; despite being in control for three games, the Magic are still 1.5-point underdogs according to the sports books. But how has Orlando’s status as the disrespected squad in this series changed the way that they play?
They’re not out-hustling Cleveland. In fact, they’ve been outrebounded by the Cavs 113-106 over the course of the series (and have lost the rebounding battle in Game 2 and Game 3 respectively). Orlando’s greatest advantage in this series hasn’t been a greater level of intensity or a commitment to physical play. They’ve been in control because they move the ball immaculately, and Cleveland’s bigs are getting killed trying to rotate across the court.
Dwight might be pissed off about the muppet reincarnations of Kobe and LeBron, but it’s foolish to think that the media love-affair has actually changed the way the Magic play.
Source: Dwight Howard’s Blog
May 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
doc says:
When u in the situation he’s in.U can make motivation any little thing.But if them commercials wasnt out,he would want it the same way.Aint nobody make u sign with Adidas.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Kwright says:
He’s gotta get some real O first…then he can talk
May 26th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
E$ says:
I never heard the Kobe/Lebron finals talk until a certain magazine showed up @ the house with both on the cover. I thought it was disrestful to the other teams still playing. Even if they both make it, it will be boring becuase they teammates suck - Finals play is for TEAM BASKETBALL!
May 26th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Scott says:
Imagine a Nuggets-Magic finals… then imagine Stern crying in a corner over what could’ve been.
I don’t think it’ll happen, but it is at the least possible the way the series look now.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Rafa23 says:
nope, he can talk without O.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
HB0 says:
THATS WHAT HE GETS FOR SIGNING WITH ADIDAS!!!
May 26th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Kudabeen says:
They guy is giving them over 20ppg…Big O or Little O he is getting his team scores on very few shots…Marin isn’t dropping 20. no other bigs averaged 20ppg against Cavs in playoffs. 20 and 15 is 20 and 15.
Dwight thing is he needs to see the double teams coming and hurt the defense. That will give him more one on one attempts. He has grown. If he is going to keep singing whatever song he is saying to help hit FTs he is a problem.
He has to stay away from silly fouls and SVG needs to play him and Gortat together.
Also Magic can’t keep giving LeBron and running start. Once he gets started it is a foul, a bucket, or both…
May 26th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
magicgotshafted says:
who’s got 20 extra free throws for the cavs today?
I do.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
David Stern keeps trying to convince us that he doesn’t mind if Kobe and LeBron aren’t in the finals. He keeps saying “Oh, we have a LEAGUE FULL OF SUPERSTARS”. But c’mon. I know something ELSE the league is full of…
Kobe and Bron-Bron have the most obsessive fans (self included) out of all the “superstars”. You never see Dwight Howard vs. Chauncey Billups arguments on Dime. You never see Birdman vs. Pau arguments. It’s always about Bron vs. Kobe. So Dwight should just fall back on this one. Sure, use it for motivation, but don’t try to convince us that Orlando is just as exciting to watch in the Finals as finals featuring 3 hall of fame-caliber people.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Bron42 aka Had springs before slam ball says:
what does him signing with adidas have to do with anything? Melo is a jordan guy and hes not gettin any commercials either…NBA is doin the wrestling thing of just tryin to push superstars they want. If you only saw the commercials you’d swear lebron and kobe are already playing in the finals meanwhile lebron is one lucky shot away from 0-3 and kobe’s team is strugglin and arguing in a 2-2 series. And kemit, dwight has hall of famer potential too not to mention, lets say kobe and lebron play in the finals, they not have a history of playing crappy against eachother and they prolly won’t even guard eachother (although kobe has been guarding melo while lebron guards guys like alston cuz hes a puss) So its not even like it would be some epic showdown when all they gotta do it put lebron at the line. A lebron kobe finals would leave all the refs with strep throat from calling so many phantom fouls for the 2 guys.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Rare Air says:
Whatever gets you pumped Dwight. I think Orlando might be counting them before they hatch right now, they got two more wins to go. Cleveland wont shoot that badly forever, I think they get a close one tonight. Take that series back to Rock City and its game on. Orlando does deserve their cred though for showing up like they have, Boston had them on the ropes and they answered.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
@ Bron42 (9):
Dwight may have Hall Of Fame potential, but Kobe and Bron would almost be locks if they retired NOW. It’s a whole different level, and with that comes a whole different level of fan participation, and with THAT comes a whole different level of money because of the marketing and what not.
And what you said about the matchups is definitely right, I feel you on that. But no one cares, really. Kobe and Bron wouldn’t even have to be on the same end of the floor at the same time, to be honest. It’s all about their individual highlights, and to a greater extent, their legacies. Whichever player wins the title, he’s the “league’s best player” in almost everyone’s opinion.
So all of that hype, all the drumming-up, and yes, all of that MONEY, isn’t even in the picture if they don’t get the “dream matchup”. It sucks that it’s that way, but what can you do? All you can do is use it for fuel, if you’re caught on the other side like Dwight.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
haslem says:
@Hlo: HAHAHAHAHAHA so true, I never loved there ad campaign with those kids and stuff I dunno, Nikes stuff is always more original at least from what ive seen.
but seriously who won’t be shocked if Orlando goes to the finals?? ill be shocked.
although imagine an Orlando-Denver final, who isnt looking like a slack jawed yokel in that case?
May 26th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Simon says:
@Kermit, who is the 3rd HOF calibre player you are referring to in post 8? If it is Pau, then you are definitely talking about a potential Hall of Famer. So if Orlando wins, with Dwight, Kobe and Pau are there still not 3 potential Hall of Famers?
I do agree that it is no where near the level of hype that a Kobe/LeBron final would have though. I personally want to see the Carmelo/LeBron finals match-up.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
@ Simon (13):
I snuck that one in there…not 3 hall of fame-caliber PLAYERS…I said 3 hall of fame-caliber PEOPLE.
Phil Jackson. LOL gotcha!
May 26th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Ian says:
Kermit if lebron retires now hes not in for sure
May 26th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Simon says:
@Kermit, that’s actually too funny. You mos def got me on that one! In that case, my argument loses.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
@ Ian (15):
I know, he’s not literally a lock. Just comparitively speaking. I was just comparing the Kobe/Bron dynamic vs. the Dwight vs. Whoever dynamic. My point was to say something like “Bron-Bron isn’t a lock for hall of fame right now, but compared to Dwight, he practically is.”
Maybe a poor comparison, but just trying to draw attention to the HUGE difference between Dwight’s caliber and Bron or Kobe’s.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Kermit the Washington says:
what the….why are the comment numbers changing?! Anyone else seein’ that?
Simon referenced my comment at #8, which is #9 now. And I referenced Ian’s comment at #15, which is now MY comment…s’goin on here, Dime?
May 26th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Ian says:
Maybe they added one of those waiting moderationcomments?? No??
May 26th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
jauslay says:
ian-how is lebron not a lock
May 26th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
No Matter How Things says:
Such is the treatment of top superstars. When Dwight is #2 in the league than he will be opposite Lebron in all of these commercials, and I doubt that he will be disappointed. It comes with being the top of the top dgos.
May 26th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Bron42 aka Had springs before slam ball says:
@kermit, like ian said…lebrons not even a lock now…the only one is kobe considering lebron hasn’t won jack shit either. Hell wade would be more of a lock since he at least has a ring. Lebrons put up numbers earier than most but alot of that has to do with him coming out of high school while the older greats didn’t so he had a 4 year headstart…and if ur just goin by numbers, dwights broken a few records himself. Lebron has a MVP, dwight has a DPOY and a Dunk title and his team is playing in the conference finals just like lebron. And if your gonna base it on lebron getting to the finals one time, his team did get swept ya kno. If lebron retired now he’d be one of the many scorers in the nba not to win anything so therefore hes not a lock.
May 26th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Bron42 aka Had springs before slam ball says:
and the comment numbers get messed up cuz if you put in a different name or email that the server isn’t used to, dime has to moderate it, and whiles its doin that other people are posting.
May 26th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
doc says:
bron aint no lock yet he hit his prime in 2 more years.
May 26th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Bron42 aka Had springs before slam ball says:
p.s: If your going numbers wise, melo and dwight r just as effective as lebron and kobe…now if your going to base it on hype, than ya lebron is on another level than dwight and melo. But dwights done one thing this season that lebron hasn’t and thats beat the lakers in LA
May 26th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Kryptonite Hops says:
@12
Lebron in the HOF if he retired right now? Ahem Ahem Ahem.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:24 am
QQ says:
Dwight, Bron and Kobe can get all the publicity they want.
Go get yourself a frontcourt you can destroy in the Finals.
Keep it nice and easy, though.
May 27th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Dukesman2000 says:
Yeah the Lebron/Kobe puppet thing is disrespectful to all the other players in the playoffs. No doubt, David Stern and the NBA want to see the Kobe vs Lebron Finals because of the publicity it’d receive but they’ve obviously counted their chickens before they are hatched.
May 27th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
marcus the great says:
i think the difference between Magic over Cavs (and even Nuggets over Lakers) is coaching. VanGundy is instilling what he wants his players to do, based off of what he sees in the game, and the players are doin it. same with the Nuggets. i bet anything if Sloan or Pop was coachin the Lakers it’d be a wrap right now, Lakers win. but they coastin off they talent and thats not gonna cut it in the playoffs. neither is Bron-on-5, and thats why the Cavs are losin. the Magic (vanGundy) found a weak spot on the Cavs and he’s exploitin the hell out of it
October 21st, 2009 at 3:17 am
air jordan says:
good game ,i like the trainers !
October 26th, 2009 at 4:25 am
air jordan says:
Lakers) is coaching. VanGundy is instilling what he wants his players to do, based off of what he sees in the game, and the players are doin it. same with the Nuggets. i bet anything if Sloan or Pop was coachin the Lakers it’d be a wrap right now, Lakers win. but they coastin off they talent and thats not gonna cut it in the playoffs. neither is Bron-on-5, and thats why the Cavs are losin. the Magic (vanGundy) found a weak spot on the Cavs and he’s exploitin the hell out of it