My Last Google Search for Dwight Howard

I just typed in "Dwight Howard" on Google.  The first four "I'm Feeling Luckys" were "Dwight Howard Trade," "Dwight Howard Nets," "Dwight Howard Knicks," and "Dwight Howard Trade rumors."

Three days ago, all the buzz was about whether Dwight Howard got his former coach Stan Van Gundy fired from his job.  This year, Howard's Orlando Magic squad endured complaints about his teammates and his lack of 4th quarter touches. 

Ugh. 

This Google search made me pine for a little more character in my information diet.  And so, here are the results of my search for five NBA centers who have displayed a little more character than Howard has in his career thus far. 

Tim Duncan: Classy Leadership and Love

When was the last time you have seen Dwight Howard embrace a player like this?  Or show a teammate this kind of love?  Tim Duncan has amassed some of the finest statistics ever in NBA history.  However, his reputation for leading, mentoring and improving the games of several young skill players is also a significant part of his legacy.

Duncan never generated massive trade or free-agent media hype as Howard has.  But that is because Duncan is too busy whispering wisdom into his teammates ears and winning championship rings. 

Hakeem Olajuwon: Faith and Adaptability

Hakeem Olajuwon, despite never being surrounded by extraordinary talent, stuck with the Rockets organization for the majority of his career. He refined his offensive game midway through his career and averaged close to 27ppg between thirty and thirty-three years old. 

The Rockets eventually attained two-guard Clyde Drexler from the Portland Trailblazers and went on to win two consecutive NBA championships. 

Here is my favorite part of Olajuwon's legacy: To stay true to his Islamic faith, Olajuwon fasted for one month during Ramadan, which on certain years coincided with the NBA season.  During one of the Ramadan months, February, 1995, he won NBA player of the month. 

At the time, this story didn't receive nearly as much coverage as all this Dwight Howard hoopla.  But it is one of the first things I envision when I think of great centers in the NBA. 

Tyson Chandler: Infectious Spirit of Optimism

Tyson Chandler averages half the points Dwight Howard does.  His rebounding and block shots statistics are not as impressive as Howard's either. 

And yet, Tyson Chandler won a championship ring with the Dallas Mavericks last year. When Chandler, who was signed by the New York Knicks as a free-agent in the off-season, received his championship ring, his former coach Rick Carlisle introduced him as "one of the legendary Mavericks of all time."

Why? Because in addition to being one of the NBA's best defenders, Chandler also has an infectious optimism that spreads to his teammates.  Everyone wants to play a high level of defense when they are playing with Chandler because he is constantly encouraging that level of tenacity on and off the floor. 

Plus, just look at him—when you are around a guy like that, you get the feeling everything is going to be alright. 

With Dwight Howard, not so much. 

Shaquille O'Neal: Manifest Domination

Shaquille O'Neal's career was reputed for having character flaws—his work ethic and leadership skills were constantly called into question.  However, Shaq's competitive character was undoubtedly one of the fiercest in NBA history.

During his prime, Shaq played every game with a certain swagger. When he was on the floor, he had an insatiable need to dominate his opponents.

From when Shaq was 22 to 30 years old, he averaged about 19 field-goal attempts per game.  He demanded the ball, and he got it. 

Howard has pined that he wants more fourth quarter touches earlier this year.  However, his career field-goal attempts over the first seven years of his career are 11 per game.   If Howard wants to be a championship caliber center, he needs to stop complaining about his lack of possessions and start to demand them from his teammates. 

Alonzo Mourning: Unflappable Perseverance

At the height of his professional basketball career in 2000, then all-star Alonzo Mourning was diagnosed with a rare kidney disorder that threatened his life.  The odds of him returning to play in the NBA were slim.

When Mourning overcame these odds through hours of unenviable and unimaginable perseverance, his game wasn't the same and his numbers dropped across the board.  

Mourning could have called it quits, but he continued playing in the NBA for another seven years until he was 37 years old.  In 2006, Mourning won an NBA championship with the Miami Heat where he contributed 2.3 blocked shots in twenty minutes per game. 

Mourning's accomplishments never got the same media hype as Howard and his generated trade rumors have.  Then again, there is a reason for that—these accomplishments aren't hype.