Dwight Howard Trade to Lakers Means Showtime Is Back in Los Angeles

The “Showtime Lakers” are back in town. And no, Magic, Kareem, and Worthy are not coming out of retirement.

The Lakers have pulled a major coup in the form of a four-team deal for Dwight Howard, while somehow able to keep Pau Gasol in Los Angeles. They have now become the clear offseason winners with Howard, Steve Nash and Antawn Jamison signing with the purple and gold.

The Clippers were trying to close the gap in Los Angeles with their tandem of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. After the Howard trade, though, the Lakers’ new fearsome foursome catapults them to the hottest ticket in LA once again.

Cue the paparazzi. Cue the nightly highlight reels. Cue the celebrities hitting the Staples Center in droves.

The Lake Show’s four stars feature some of the most recognizable players worldwide. Not to mention, three (Bryant, Howard, Nash) are on every NBA fans top ten players to see in person.

Consider the collective resumes of LA’s four stars: three league MVPs, three Defensive Player of the Years, 18 All-NBA First Teams, 32 All-Star appearances.

That’s without counting scoring titles, rookie of the year titles, rebounding titles. You get the picture.

First there’s the holdovers: Bryant and Gasol. They won two titles together as the Laker’s one-two punch only a short while ago. Now Gasol goes from being the second banana to the fourth option on offense.

Let me rephrase: the most skilled big man in the NBA is now a fourth option.

Somebody please get the Western Conference some oxygen.

This collection of talent even surpasses the Laker teams that won back-to-back in 2010 and 2011.

Recall the Lakers starting five during their last title (in my opinion, the better team). They had a starting five of Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum. Today, the Lakers still sport three out of five, with significant upgrades in Nash and Howard at the other two spots.

Those newest additions especially make this load of superstars a entertaining brand of basketball.

Calling the shots is Steve Nash, the long-hair-don’t-care passing maestro and smooth ball operator.

The 2-time MVP will take this Laker offense out of the doldrums and into one of the most efficient scoring machines today; last year, he assisted on more than 50 percent of his teammates baskets. He will be surrounded by the best talent he has ever had by a landslide.

A lot of that praise is because of Howard heading to Los Angeles. The most dominant big man in the game is a sweltering defensive presence who protects the rim like a newborn child. He does not even let shots go in after the whistle has been called.

Not to mention he’s a double-double in the box score before the game starts.

Where Showtime will really take center stage, though, is when Howard gets in transition. He loves to run the floor and take flight at excess. With Nash and Gasol, some of the most willing passers in today’s NBA, this Lakers team could rival the offensive beauty of Magic Johnson’s squads in the 80s.

Let's not forget the entertainment factors here. Howard is one of the most vibrant personalities in today’s NBA. Forget your feelings about him from this recent trade-talk bonanza (if you can) and consider he’s the closest personality to a Shaquille O’Neal: a big man who loves the camera.

His pairing with Bryant and Co. bodes well for Lakers fans and NBA diehards that want to see superstar basketball.  

Jack Nicholson won’t be scalping his seats anytime soon.

Lights, camera, Showtime.