In the wake of Shaquille O’Neal’s comments in which the former NBA Finals MVP claimed that Brook Lopez and Andrew Bynum were the best true big men in the NBA today, Dwight Howard thinks that it’s time for the Big Diesel to move on.
“I don’t care what Shaq says,” Howard told reporters after practice. “Shaq played the game. He’s done. He’s gone. It’s time to move on. “He hated the fact when he played that the older guys were talking about him and how he played and now he’s doing the exact same thing. Just let it go. There’s no sense for him to be talking trash to me. He did his thing in the league. He’s one of the most dominant players to ever play the game. Just sit back and relax. You did your thing. Your time is up. So, I don’t really care. I don’t really care. He can say whatever he wants to say.”
There is no doubt going to be a lot of focus on the Los Angeles Lakers this season, with their big acquisitions including Steve Nash and Howard. We aren’t too sure if Howard is quite ready to handle all of the media attention that comes with the territory as a Laker. Sure, the fans in Orlando were passionate, but playing in Tinsletown, with more primetime games and more mentions on SportsCenter, and NBA Network can start to wear on players that aren’t mentally tough. The fact that Howard took the time to even respond to Shaq’s comments is cause for concern. He should also be concerned about the possibility of stepping on Kobe Bryant’s toes. Earlier this offseason when asked if there was any question as to who the Lakers belonged to, Bryant responded with an emphatic “Oh, this is still my team.”
This is a bad sign that Howard is already feeling the pressure of playing in LA. It will take him a while to adjust playing in a big market like Los Angeles, but when he does, look out because the Lakers are coming!