Dallas Mavericks Get Last Pitch: Dwight Howard Spotted in Aspen With Fan

The Dallas Mavericks got the last pitch in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes after a Mavs fan was spotted with the superstar in Aspen, Colorado.

Howard, the topic of almost every NBA free-agency conversation, is currently mulling over his highly anticipated decision in "a little place called Aspen".

After five long meetings with the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, Howard hasn't really been spotted out in public. He has not released any statements, but according to many different sources on Twitter, Howard has been linked to signing with several of the franchises.

Luckily, one up on the Chris Broussards of Twitter, Mavericks fan Kevin Chaiken ran into Howard at what appears to be a grocery store in Aspen.

Chaiken, Twitter handle @kevinchaiken6, seems to have given the Mavericks the upper hand on the Rockets, Warriors, Hawks and Lakers as he's given the last known "sales pitch" to Howard.

On July 4th, Chaiken tweeted about his encounter with Howard:

The tweet, mentioned by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Dallas sports radio personalities Ben Rogers and Jeff Wade, gained over 85 retweets in just under 30 minutes. It's refreshing to see Howard smiling with a Mavericks fan, considering the multiple meetings he endeavored earlier in the week.

Rogers replied to Chaiken asking for an indication on Howard's decision. Chaiken responded via Twitter:

Unfortunately, Howard hasn't given his official word on where he'll play next year. But Chaiken's confidence for the Mavericks, after talking directly to Dwight, only adds to the anticipation of Howard's announcement.

While Kobe Bryant was concerned about getting the last word in for the Lakers, this encounter appears to be comforting for Mavs fans as Howard last heard from one of their own. Could Chaiken's last "sales pitch" be the final factor in where Howard ultimately ends up?