With tears, Bazemore and Howard are home in Atlanta

[RandomFan]

http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/with-tears-bazemore-and-howard-are-home-in-atlanta/nrxtm/?icmp=myajc_internallink_megamenu_link

 

There were tears. Lots of tears.

Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore were home. Howard returned and Bazemore remained in the city of Atlanta.

Both Hawks players got emotional at a press conference to announce their signings Wednesday at the William Walker Recreation Center.

Bazemore teared up first during his opening remarks upon signing a four-year, $70 million contract as an unrestricted free agent to remain with the Hawks.

“I couldn’t choose a better place to be,” Bazemore said. “I said I wasn’t going to get emotional but people have embraced me and this feels like home. … It’s not often in this league where you can say you want something to happen and it happens. So when you get to come back, it’s just that much more special.”

Howard signed a three-year, $70.5 million contract to return to the city where he was born and raised. Minutes later, he would join in the waterworks when he mentioned his family.

“I'm happy to be home,” Howard said. “I know I am in a totally different place physically, mentally and spiritually than I was three years ago. I don’t think three years ago I would be the man I am today. This is really a new beginning for me. I’m happy to share that with my loved ones.”

Howard, and eight-time All-Star, met with the Hawks on July 1, the first day of the NBA free agency period. Part of the meeting was supposed to be a 10 minute conversation with Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. The two ended up speaking for nearly two hours, according to Howard. The two connected two years ago when the Hawks met with Howard before he signed with the Rockets.

This time the end result was different. This was the right time to return to Atlanta.

“I was like ‘Man, I don’t even need to meet with anybody else. I don’t need to see anybody else. I’m coming to Atlanta,’” Howard said.

Howard’s family has been praying for him to come home and play for the Hawks. His father said he planted the seed on several occasions. The two talked Tuesday night and Howard was surprised his father kept up on the Hawks roster moves and how they would be good for his son.

“You have to understand Dwight,” Dwight Howard Sr. said. “He don’t want to say my dad told me to do this. So, I just have to say ‘You know, Atlanta is a blessing.’ I can’t drive it in but I can throw it out there.”

There are several concerns about Howard – including his health, his past and how he will fit into Budenholzer’s system.

Howard maintains that he is healthy and that other than a five-day break to go fishing in Mexico he has been working out since the end of the season.

Of the notion of a negative public perception, Howard acknowledges a chip on his shoulder to prove naysayers wrong.

“I can’t sit up here and say it doesn’t affect me,” Howard said. “But I think all the negativity and what people said in the past made me upset. It’s put me in a place where I want to come back with a new me, a new Dwight. What better way to do it than in front of my family and friends.”

Budenholzer insisted that Howard can be a fit in the system which calls for the power forward and center to be interchangeable. Howard can’t stretch the floor but he can put pressure on the rim. That’s key according to Budenholzer, who worked with such players like David Robinson and Tim Duncan as an assistant with the Spurs. In fact, he may be more comfortable with it.

“It’s great to have somebody who is going to roll and put pressure on the rim and have shooting around him,” Budenholzer said. “I think it’s going to work well. In a lot of ways, we’ve adjusted to who we’ve had the first three years and in some ways it will be going back to what I know maybe even better and maybe even more comfortable with having someone who can put that kind of pressure on the rim.”

Howard announced his uniform number change following the press conference. After wearing No. 12 his entire career, Howard will wear No. 8 with the Hawks. He said he couldn’t give a full explanation for the meaning of the new number because it would take quite a while. In biblical numerology the number eight signifies a new beginning.

“Change is good,” Howard said before unveiling his new jersey.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RandomFan]

Figured I'd just post a new Howard article in an existing thread instead of creating a new one.

http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/howard-looks-to-his-roots-to-nourish-him-again/nrzFj/

By Steve Hummer - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The first week of the Dwight Howard Homecoming clearly and cleverly has laid down the baseline for what his Hawks career could be, if handled by the right author.

The essential elements of the perfect story are all there: Native big man leaves home still a child in many ways as the NBA’s first pick straight out of tiny Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. He runs the maze of fame, lofty expectation, hubris and pettiness all around only to come back home again at 30 to find himself.

Such a tale surely is dipped in a syrupy glaze of possibility.

There Howard stood Wednesday, upon signing a three-year, $70.5 million contract with the Hawks, in the same south Atlanta gym where he shot as a child, holding a new team’s jersey with a new number.

No longer No. 12, he would now answer to No. 8, he said.

The No. 8 contains biblical symbolism, that when distilled, means one basic thing. “It’s a new beginning,” Howard said.

Howard also was born on the eighth of December. And he was, in a manner, an eighth child of Sheryl and Dwight Howard Sr. For after his older sister was born, the Howards suffered a half dozen miscarriages before Dwight arrived.

When his parents teared up at his introductory news conference/pep rally Wednesday — spawning an emotional response from Howard himself — they were replaying that family history in their heads. “When he was born it was like a breath of fresh air, after going through years of darkness,” Dwight Sr. said. “All of a sudden God opened up a door, and he came.”

There Howard was again Friday, at a high school gym in his old neighborhood south of town, communing with the 200 or so children at the 12th annual Howard & Howard Basketball Camp. The eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time defensive player of the year, wearing his Cookie Monster-adorned T-shirt, was at ease in such a setting. Haven’t many over the years, not always kindly, compared Howard with one very over-grown kid?

On his wrist, Howard wore a band given him by a friend, invoking Isaiah 54:17 and answering those selfsame critics: “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.”

What Howard set in motion this week was a theme of restoration pure and simple.

But there are so many complications.

And so many tongues to confute.

Wasn’t it another Isiah — surname Thomas, middle name Lord — who four months ago on NBA TV was offering some very pointed judgment of Howard’s career?

“Twelve years into his career in terms of where he started, we should be talking about him in terms of one of the most dominant big men to ever play. Now, why isn’t he? He hasn’t developed his game. Right now the name is bigger than the game,” Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame guard, said from the analyst’s chair.

What Howard has come home seeking — a comfortable place to be revived, like returning to Georgia to soak in the waters of Warm Springs — seems straightforward enough.

But it’s complicated.

Even the simplest question — how many children do you have — is tricky with him. The internet is awash with estimations of how many the single Howard has had with various women.

His answer: “Five. (The internet speculation) is something I can’t control because there are always going to be rumors here and there. I have five wonderful kids and no matter how they got here, whether that was without marriage or anything like that, one thing I do pride myself on is being a great father to my kids and taking care of my kids.”

The Howard name is woven throughout the communities of Atlanta. Uncle Paul is the district attorney for Fulton County. His father was going to Morehouse when he met his mother while a student at Morris Brown. A man who just appears larger than his physical size (nowhere near that of his 6-11 son), Dwight Sr. was a Georgia state patrolman for 16 years, and the athletic director at Dwight’s small Christian high school for nearly twice that long.

The sense of local service is strong with the family. The visitor to the Howards’ basketball camp passes the sketch of a faith-based youth and athletic complex taking shape not far from the family’s Fairburn home, called Hope on the Hill Family Life Center. In addition to Dwight’s own foundation, he last year began a “Just Breathe” campaign aimed at promoting understanding and unity.

How his son represents himself and his name in this Hawks incarnation is greatly important to the Howard paterfamilias. It is nothing less than a legacy-shaping event, Dwight Sr. believes.

“I always gave him this example — look at David Robinson,” Senior said, invoking San Antonio’s Hall of Fame big. “When David Robinson walked out of the league he had his head up and everyone was like, David, don’t go. Some players walk out, others they push out. As a parent, you want to see your son walk out with dignity. I think this is the right place and the right time to do that.”

At none of his previous stops has Howard had that luxury. His eight seasons in Orlando, which peaked with a 2009 conference championship over LeBron James during his first go-round with Cleveland, ended in the kind of rancor that gets him booed every time he goes back.

From L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke after Howard’s single forgettable season with the Lakers: “Take a hike, Dwight, and don’t let your cape hit you on the way out.”

Headline on Brian T. Smith’s Houston Chronicle column after it was certain Howard would not return for a fourth season: “Dark Cloud Departs Along with Dwight Howard.”

In the now, the Hawks require Howard to play with the cold-bloodedness of the dozen snakes, all large constrictors, he keeps as pets.

They need him to take up space in the paint like the current favorite of his car collection — a monstrous six-wheel Mercedes Brabus B63S 6×6 700, of which there are only a handful in the U.S. (Howard ordered his from Dubai).

And maybe even make a free throw once in a rare while.

Howard is a guaranteed double-double, who the Hawks acquired to beef up their rebounding and protect the rim. As he aged and his numbers incrementally declined, he also found himself on teams with ball-hoarders like Kobe Bryant and James Harden. There is the hope that in Mike Budenholzer’s diversified offense, Howard will play a larger role.

But, of course, there are complications.

Will his health hold up, specifically a back that was surgically repaired in 2012 (he also missed 52 games in his first two seasons in Houston with a variety of ailments, mostly knee)?

“My back hasn’t been an issue, and I don’t think I’ll ever have an issue out of my back for the rest of my career,” he said without pause.

And will he play nice with others, altering this image that has grown around Howard that he is a difficult teammate and a hot-and-cold competitor?

When Howard speaks of himself now, a changed man, the words are simple and clean, like the peal of church bells.

“All the things that happened the past couple of years really just made me stronger, made me have some thicker skin.

“All the things that have happened put me in a place of humility to where I needed God, to understand I needed him to really survive.”

When told that, according to mytopsportsbook, the odds of the Hawks winning the NBA championship actually worsened from 35-to-1 to 50-to-1 after he was signed — and Al Horford went to Boston — Howard hardened his face and got very blunt and direct.

“It angers me because it makes you feel like it’s impossible. But I know what if all of us are on the same page and I’m in the best shape and I’m dominating every night, we’re going to have a great opportunity,” he said.

Turning words to deeds will be just so very complicated.

 

http://furtherreview.blog.myajc.com/2016/07/16/howard-hawks-have-same-vision-as-i-have/

Howard: Hawks have “same vision as I have”

By Steve HummerJuly 16, 2016

Had a little sit-down Friday with the newest Hawk, center Dwight Howard, for a story that appears in Sunday’s AJC and on myajc.com.

The questions ranged far and wide; and the answers followed suit. Howard has plenty to say, and here early it’s all the right stuff. All in all, far too much to shoehorn into a single story.

So, here are parts of the Howard interview that didn’t make print – kids, you can Google what that is – but were too good to just let fade away.

Q: You are known for your imitations, do you have one yet for Coach (Mike) Budenholzer?

A: “I don’t have a Bud imitation. He doesn’t have a crazy voice. But he has a pretty deep voice, so I’m pretty sure by mid-season I’ll have him down pat.”

Q: On the subject of the coach, he has been known to yell at a player or two in his day, regardless of the player’s status. How are you going to take to that?

A: “I don’t have an issue with that. There has always been a misconception that I hate being yelled at, but any coach that has coached me knows I am going to work hard, I am going to give everything I have for my team. And they also know when I’m playing, when I’m in that zone, I’m going to go, I always listen to my coach, I want that out of my coach – to push me to make me better. Why wouldn’t I want that out of somebody? That’s one thing that intrigued me about coach Bud, he’s not afraid to be that guy to go off on a player to push him. That’s not something that’s negative.”

Q: I saw a story from Los Angeles during your one year with the Lakers, in which a nutritionist said your glucose numbers were off the chart then. She said you were consuming the equivalent of 24 Hershey bars a day in sugar. Could that be true?

A: “I was eating a lot of crazy food back in the day. I’ve slowed down. (But) sometimes during the summer I have those moments I want to eat everything, be a kid again, and don’t realize I’m 30. I got to eat the right things.

“I was a big candy guy. It’s tough to wean off that sugar. Sodas weren’t a problem. The biggest problem were Skittles, Honey Buns, Twix – that kind of sugar I was consuming at a high rate.”

Q: Have you had any conversations with your friend Josh Smith about the challenges of playing at home in Atlanta?

A: “I haven’t talked to him about the situation with the Hawks. I think everybody has different situations, they have different feelings about playing at home. I know it can be difficult to play at home, and it’s understandable especially in today’s society with social media, with people being able to feel like they have the right to say whatever they want to say.”

Q: What was it that convinced you to sign with the Hawks this time?

A: “Really it was the coach and the direction of the team. Talking to (owner) Tony Ressler, his vision for basketball and for the team, it felt like it was the same vision that I have. It’s something I actually dreamed about before I went to Houston, because Atlanta was one of my top choices then. But as I’ve said, I think myself and the team were in different places three years ago than they are today. I’ve seen the growth and change in the team. I’ve seen a lot of growth and change in myself. And it’s like we’ve both hit at the right time.”

Q: It was 2009 when you were with Orlando that the Magic beat LeBron James and Cleveland for a trip to the NBA Finals. Well, here you are again, with the Cavs and LeBron standing in the way. And nobody thinks you can by them now. Your thoughts?

A: “That’s understandable. I think our biggest competition will be ourselves. I know for myself it will be that way. I will be playing with a good group of guys and we’re going to try to make the game easy for ourselves. We don’t need anybody to believe in us, we have to believe in ourselves. I think by us doing that, we’re going to put belief in other people once they see how confident we are.”

Edited July 16, 2016 by RandomFan

[Alex]

Can't wait until Dwight actually starts playing and acting like he always does.  This place will be entertaining.

[RandomFan]

48 minutes ago, Alex said:

Can't wait until Dwight actually starts playing and acting like he always does.  This place will be entertaining.

Can't wait until you join a new club.

[ViewsFromTheSquawk]

15 hours ago, RandomFan said:

Can't wait until you join a new club.

He might go root for a foreign. That's where Costello will be.... 

[hazer]

17 hours ago, Alex said:

Can't wait until Dwight actually starts playing and acting like he always does.  This place will be entertaining.

We're all shocked.......

[High5]

18 hours ago, Alex said:

Can't wait until Dwight actually starts playing and acting like he always does.  This place will be entertaining.

Most Rocket fans, at least on Reddit, seem to love the guy. 

But I always get a kick out of "fans" who would rather be "proven right" (even though they're negative about everything) than for their team to be successful. 

[hazer]

2 minutes ago, High5 said:

Most Rocket fans, at least on Reddit, seem to love the guy. 

But I always get a kick out of "fans" who would rather be "proven right" (even though they're negative about everything) than for their team to be successful. 

I've coined them "The Miserable Ones"

[Thomas]

19 hours ago, High5 said:

Most Rocket fans, at least on Reddit, seem to love the guy. 

But I always get a kick out of "fans" who would rather be "proven right" (even though they're negative about everything) than for their team to be successful. 

 

19 hours ago, hazer said:

I've coined them "The Miserable Ones"

Kick and The Miserable Ones are well stated terms and very polite as well.

[AHF]

Did you guys see this quote?

Quote

"I'm excited about him coming home, but even more excited about him finally playing power forward.  That is his real position.," said Dwight Sr.

Me neither.  

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, AHF said:

Did you guys see this quote?

Me neither.  

 

[hazer]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

Did you guys see this quote?

Me neither.