I’m disappointed in our effort as a team. That’s not the effort we needed Friday night in Game 3. We act like we want to win the series, but Philly is outplaying us. They are playing harder, going for loose balls and extra rebounds and just playing harder.
It felt good to see us come all the way back and keep fighting after beinbg down by 17 points, but it should have never come to that.
We have to keep fighting. We talk about winning a championship and being a great=2 0team, but we’ve got to fight. We’re down 2-1, but that doesn’t mean the series is over with. We played well for 18 minutes at both ends, but if we want to beat a Philly team that is playing great we have to do it from the jump ball.
More than anything, it’s the effort that just really bothers me. For 82 games this year, we haven’t been outworked and in this series we’ve been outworked and we can’t hide from that. We’ve never let a team work harder than us. It’s disappointing that we’ve allowed Philly to play harder than us and they have confidence now.
We have to play how we know how to play on Sunday. It’s a game that we have to have to win this series. We haven’t lost the faith, but we just need to play with more effort and energy.
Take care, homies. – D-12
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
WHEW! THAT WAS A TOUGH ONE
I’m not sure which was more difficult to deal with last night in Game 2: Being in foul trouble all night on those flops or having to sit and watch my teammates close out that win against Philly.
It was killing me not being able to be out there on the court down the stretch, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in my team to get the job done when we needed it. That’s what it’s going to take for us to keep winning in the playoffs – dudes are going to have to pick each other up when we’re missing shots or in foul trouble.
I’m so proud of my guy, Courtney Lee, who I predicted was going to be a big key in this series. I=2 0knew that we were going to need him to play well in this series to win. Philly is leaving him open and daring him to shoot and he’s really making them pay.
A lot of rookies would be scared in this situation, but he’s so cool out there. He’s still under my wing – even though he’s a few months older than me.
Philly is going to be crazy playing up there, but we’ve got to weather that Storm. We’ve been really good on the road for two seasons and we have to keep that up if we’re going to be championship contenders. We’ll be ready. We all know that it’s a series now.
Peace out. – D-12
It was killing me not being able to be out there on the court down the stretch, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in my team to get the job done when we needed it. That’s what it’s going to take for us to keep winning in the playoffs – dudes are going to have to pick each other up when we’re missing shots or in foul trouble.
I’m so proud of my guy, Courtney Lee, who I predicted was going to be a big key in this series. I=2 0knew that we were going to need him to play well in this series to win. Philly is leaving him open and daring him to shoot and he’s really making them pay.
A lot of rookies would be scared in this situation, but he’s so cool out there. He’s still under my wing – even though he’s a few months older than me.
Philly is going to be crazy playing up there, but we’ve got to weather that Storm. We’ve been really good on the road for two seasons and we have to keep that up if we’re going to be championship contenders. We’ll be ready. We all know that it’s a series now.
Peace out. – D-12
Thursday, April 16, 2009
DON’T MISTAKE HAPPINESS FOR WEAKNESS
Sports Illustrated put me on the cover of its NBA playoff preview edition this week, but they wondered in the article if I could ever be serious enough to lead the Magic to a NBA title.
Trust me, that magazine will be going up on my mirror at home. But it will be there to serve as motivation for me in the playoffs. I want to show people that I can dominate AND have fun at the same time.
I remember three years back someone locally wrote that they hoped that I never lost my smile that I flash from time to time while I’m playing. But now, a few years later, my smiling and having fun on the court is seen as negatives? C’mon man, I just don’t get that.
People who watch the games sometimes take my kindness for weakness, but I don’t think the guys on the floor playing against me feel the same way. I can smile and still get the job done.
I’ve been smiling my whole life and I’m not going to stop. Basketball brings me joy and I’m having fun blocking shots and dunking, so I am going to smile. It’s not going to stop me from being who I am. I’m not going to change it for anybody.
My coach understands that my personality is to smile and have fun. I’m going to smile, but I’m going to get the job done too.
I just can’t play angry. I’ve tried it, but it only works for a couple of minutes. I have to smile, that’s just me. My dad use to try to stop me from smiling when I was growing up, but then he realized that basketball is my sanctuary. I’m going to smile and have fun, but at the same time I’m still going to dunk on you.
Trust me, that magazine will be going up on my mirror at home. But it will be there to serve as motivation for me in the playoffs. I want to show people that I can dominate AND have fun at the same time.
I remember three years back someone locally wrote that they hoped that I never lost my smile that I flash from time to time while I’m playing. But now, a few years later, my smiling and having fun on the court is seen as negatives? C’mon man, I just don’t get that.
People who watch the games sometimes take my kindness for weakness, but I don’t think the guys on the floor playing against me feel the same way. I can smile and still get the job done.
I’ve been smiling my whole life and I’m not going to stop. Basketball brings me joy and I’m having fun blocking shots and dunking, so I am going to smile. It’s not going to stop me from being who I am. I’m not going to change it for anybody.
My coach understands that my personality is to smile and have fun. I’m going to smile, but I’m going to get the job done too.
I just can’t play angry. I’ve tried it, but it only works for a couple of minutes. I have to smile, that’s just me. My dad use to try to stop me from smiling when I was growing up, but then he realized that basketball is my sanctuary. I’m going to smile and have fun, but at the same time I’m still going to dunk on you.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
MY MEMORIES OF THE SEASON
The regular season finally comes to an end and we can’t wait to get to the playoffs starting this weekend. We haven’t played great down the stretch and we’ve still got some nagging things going on with injuries, but we’ll make the best of it and be ready when the playoffs start.
It’s been a really good season for us. We went from 52 wins to 58 (and maybe 59). I still remember back to when we lost the first two games in a row and people were saying that the Magic were going to have a bad year. But we turned everything around very quickly and I think it shows how we matured.
We don’t get a lot of recognition nationally, but I guess people forget that we beat the Lakers twice, Cleveland twice, Boston twice and San Antonio twice. That has to count for something, right?
Because we have played so well against the best teams, we think we can win a championship. We know the playoffs are a different beast, but we’re confident that we can do anything we can put our minds to.
I promised myself and my teammates that I would be better defensively this season and I went out and led the NBA in blocks. That’s just proof that when you put your mind to something you can accomplish it.
Of all the good memories from this season, I have one that I still think is the absolutely funniest of the year. It was a couple of weeks ago against Cleveland when Marcin Gortat became the first Polish player in the history of basketball since James Naismith to hit a 3-pointer. Now that was a sight to see. That’s one for the historians and record books all time.
I’m out. Take care, ya’ll. -- DWIGHT
It’s been a really good season for us. We went from 52 wins to 58 (and maybe 59). I still remember back to when we lost the first two games in a row and people were saying that the Magic were going to have a bad year. But we turned everything around very quickly and I think it shows how we matured.
We don’t get a lot of recognition nationally, but I guess people forget that we beat the Lakers twice, Cleveland twice, Boston twice and San Antonio twice. That has to count for something, right?
Because we have played so well against the best teams, we think we can win a championship. We know the playoffs are a different beast, but we’re confident that we can do anything we can put our minds to.
I promised myself and my teammates that I would be better defensively this season and I went out and led the NBA in blocks. That’s just proof that when you put your mind to something you can accomplish it.
Of all the good memories from this season, I have one that I still think is the absolutely funniest of the year. It was a couple of weeks ago against Cleveland when Marcin Gortat became the first Polish player in the history of basketball since James Naismith to hit a 3-pointer. Now that was a sight to see. That’s one for the historians and record books all time.
I’m out. Take care, ya’ll. -- DWIGHT
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
DWIGHT WINS PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
Maybe, just maybe, the voters for the Most Valuable Player award will take notice of Orlando Magic franchise center Dwight now.
Dwight won the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week. It was the fourth time this season that Dwight has captured the award and the seventh time in his career he was honored as the East’s Player of the Week.
Dwight led the=2 0Magic to a 3-1 mark last week while averaging 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Also, he made an impressive 61.5 percent from the floor.
Dwight notched his ninth 20-point, 20-rebound game of the season, three more than the rest of the NBA combined, on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. His totals were 21 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals.
He had 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Heat last Monday, and 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals against Toronto. Dwight was huge in the Magic’s rout of Cleveland on Friday night with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Dwight leads the Magi c in scoring (21.1) and leads the NBA in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (3.0). He has all but locked up the rebounding and blocked-shot titles, making him just the fifth player ever to do that in the same season. His Magic are 57-19, just a half-game back of Boston for the No. 2 seed, heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
Jason Kidd, Dwight’s teammate on the Olympic team this past summer, was the West’s Player of the Week after averaging 13.5 assists and 9.8 points last week. On Sunday, Kidd passed Magic Johnson for third on the NBA’s all-time assist category. With 10,148 assists, he trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Mark Jackson (10,334).
Dwight won the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award for a second consecutive week. It was the fourth time this season that Dwight has captured the award and the seventh time in his career he was honored as the East’s Player of the Week.
Dwight led the=2 0Magic to a 3-1 mark last week while averaging 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Also, he made an impressive 61.5 percent from the floor.
Dwight notched his ninth 20-point, 20-rebound game of the season, three more than the rest of the NBA combined, on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. His totals were 21 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals.
He had 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Heat last Monday, and 30 points, nine rebounds and three steals against Toronto. Dwight was huge in the Magic’s rout of Cleveland on Friday night with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Dwight leads the Magi c in scoring (21.1) and leads the NBA in rebounding (14.0) and blocked shots (3.0). He has all but locked up the rebounding and blocked-shot titles, making him just the fifth player ever to do that in the same season. His Magic are 57-19, just a half-game back of Boston for the No. 2 seed, heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets.
Jason Kidd, Dwight’s teammate on the Olympic team this past summer, was the West’s Player of the Week after averaging 13.5 assists and 9.8 points last week. On Sunday, Kidd passed Magic Johnson for third on the NBA’s all-time assist category. With 10,148 assists, he trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Mark Jackson (10,334).
Monday, April 6, 2009
IF I HAD PLAYED COLLEGE BASKETBALL ...
I’m often asked how my life and my game on the court would be different had I gone to college, but I really don’t think about it that much because growing up my goal was always to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
I accomplished that goal in 2004 without going to college, so I don’t look back. Because they no longer let kids jump from high school to the NBA (which I don’t totally agree with), I could be the last high school player ever to be chosen No. 1 overall.
I watch some college basketball, but really there’s no comparison between the college games and the NBA. What’s the better game? I’m going to go with the NBA.
College is very animated and they play hard, but it’s nothing like the NBA at all. In the NBA, that’s the best kind of basketball in the world.
Some people think the NBA is slow, but if you sit close enough you really see how fast the game is and how physical it is. And we have the best athletes in the world, so that makes for a better game.
Since we’re off tonight and in Houston, I’m sure I’ll watch some of the national championship game with the fellas on the team. As to who I think will win the game, few people actually know where I considered going to college before I made up my mind to enter the NBA Draft. (I made the right decision, don’t you think???)
If I had gone to college, it would have been to Carolina. So go Heels tonight.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
I accomplished that goal in 2004 without going to college, so I don’t look back. Because they no longer let kids jump from high school to the NBA (which I don’t totally agree with), I could be the last high school player ever to be chosen No. 1 overall.
I watch some college basketball, but really there’s no comparison between the college games and the NBA. What’s the better game? I’m going to go with the NBA.
College is very animated and they play hard, but it’s nothing like the NBA at all. In the NBA, that’s the best kind of basketball in the world.
Some people think the NBA is slow, but if you sit close enough you really see how fast the game is and how physical it is. And we have the best athletes in the world, so that makes for a better game.
Since we’re off tonight and in Houston, I’m sure I’ll watch some of the national championship game with the fellas on the team. As to who I think will win the game, few people actually know where I considered going to college before I made up my mind to enter the NBA Draft. (I made the right decision, don’t you think???)
If I had gone to college, it would have been to Carolina. So go Heels tonight.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Sunday, April 5, 2009
OUR MEETING WORKED
Sometimes people make too much of a big deal about ``players’ only’’ meetings, but this one really seemed to have a good effect for us. After all, we were up 41 points last night on Cleveland, who’s got the best record in the NBA. Let me say that again: We were up by 41 points!!!!
Our meeting was supposed to last five minutes, but we went more than 20, and just about everybody on the team got up and spoke whatever was on their mind. My message was that we’re a great team and when we play every night with the energy and focus that we bring to the big game, we are a really good team.
It’s kind of hard for me to tell guys that it’s time to be serious, because I’m one of the silliest guys on the team and everybody knows that I love having as much fun as I can. But the playoffs are nearly here and it’s time for us to lock in mentally. We have the kind of team that can win a championship. Chances like this don’t have too often and we can’t let this opportunity pass us by.
I thought one of the things that would help us improve would be to make sure we warm up harder before the game and at halftime. We have been getting off to slow starts and having bad third quarters, and maybe that’s because we were goofing off in our warm-ups some.
We fixed that last night and ended up jumping on Cleveland from the start and blowing them out in the third quarter. Did I mention that we were up by 41 points?!?!?!?!?
For some reason, we just match up well against Cleveland. Our whole game plan is to keep LeBron out of the lane, don’t let him get dunks in transition and make him take jump shots. He beat us with jumpers in Cleveland, but he missed some of them here in Orlando.
We have that confidence that we can beat any team in the league. We know we’re good enough to win a championship as long as we’re playing focused and hungry with a lot of energy.
Maybe we just needed to remind ourselves tha t at our ``players’ only’’ meeting. Hey, whatever it takes, baby.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Our meeting was supposed to last five minutes, but we went more than 20, and just about everybody on the team got up and spoke whatever was on their mind. My message was that we’re a great team and when we play every night with the energy and focus that we bring to the big game, we are a really good team.
It’s kind of hard for me to tell guys that it’s time to be serious, because I’m one of the silliest guys on the team and everybody knows that I love having as much fun as I can. But the playoffs are nearly here and it’s time for us to lock in mentally. We have the kind of team that can win a championship. Chances like this don’t have too often and we can’t let this opportunity pass us by.
I thought one of the things that would help us improve would be to make sure we warm up harder before the game and at halftime. We have been getting off to slow starts and having bad third quarters, and maybe that’s because we were goofing off in our warm-ups some.
We fixed that last night and ended up jumping on Cleveland from the start and blowing them out in the third quarter. Did I mention that we were up by 41 points?!?!?!?!?
For some reason, we just match up well against Cleveland. Our whole game plan is to keep LeBron out of the lane, don’t let him get dunks in transition and make him take jump shots. He beat us with jumpers in Cleveland, but he missed some of them here in Orlando.
We have that confidence that we can beat any team in the league. We know we’re good enough to win a championship as long as we’re playing focused and hungry with a lot of energy.
Maybe we just needed to remind ourselves tha t at our ``players’ only’’ meeting. Hey, whatever it takes, baby.
Peace. -- DWIGHT
Friday, April 3, 2009
DWIGHT EAGER TO FACE LEBRON, CAVS
Orlando Magic all-star center Dwight Howard has marveled from afar this season at the dominant and consistent success of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, winners of 13 straight games before Thursday’s shocking loss to Washington.
But Dwight isn’t just tuning in to Cavaliers games these days for a scouting report on the team that his Magic could very well face in the eastern Conference Finals in May. Dwight says the Cavs have become must-see TV as much for their pregame theatrics as their in-game success.
``LeBron’s had an unbelievable season and he has his team playing great basketball,’’ Dwight said. ``But I would say now, more so than even watching his team play, I like watching the pregame rituals that his team does. To me, that’s more exciting than the game. Every time they play I try to catch the beginning of the game to see what they are going to do.’’
Dwight will have an up-close view of Cleveland’s pregame antics tonight when the Magic and Cavs face off in a showdown of Eastern Conference titans. Both teams will be coming off stunning losses to nonplayoff teams. Orlando’s six-game winning streak ended Wednesday when it lost to Toronto, while the Cavs stubbed their toes Thursday against the hapless Wizards.
Clearly, the stars of the show tonight will be Dwight and LeBron. The two Olympians have become the face of the NBA what with their ability to dominate games two dramatically different ways. LeBron is the favorite to win the MVP because he has his team on top of the East and has posted near-triple-double numbers most of the season.
Dwight, meanwhile, should be the landslide winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. He is just a matter of games from becoming the fifth player ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season. David Lee would have to average 20 rebounds a game down the stretch, and Chris Anderson would need five-plus blocks a night the rest of the way – and that’s only if Dwight doesn’t scratch in either category. Not going to happen.
Being a face of the NBA suits Dwight just fine, and he knows LeBron, his friend from the Olympics, is right there with him.&n bsp;
``Hopefully that’s the case. We both want to set a standard for how the game is played for years to come,’’ Dwight said. ``We’re both doing it from two different positions. We’re trying to do the best job we can for ourselves and our teams. He went to Cleveland, which was a struggling team before he got there and he brought some life back there. I’m trying to do the same, bring some life back to O-town.’’
But Dwight isn’t just tuning in to Cavaliers games these days for a scouting report on the team that his Magic could very well face in the eastern Conference Finals in May. Dwight says the Cavs have become must-see TV as much for their pregame theatrics as their in-game success.
``LeBron’s had an unbelievable season and he has his team playing great basketball,’’ Dwight said. ``But I would say now, more so than even watching his team play, I like watching the pregame rituals that his team does. To me, that’s more exciting than the game. Every time they play I try to catch the beginning of the game to see what they are going to do.’’
Dwight will have an up-close view of Cleveland’s pregame antics tonight when the Magic and Cavs face off in a showdown of Eastern Conference titans. Both teams will be coming off stunning losses to nonplayoff teams. Orlando’s six-game winning streak ended Wednesday when it lost to Toronto, while the Cavs stubbed their toes Thursday against the hapless Wizards.
Clearly, the stars of the show tonight will be Dwight and LeBron. The two Olympians have become the face of the NBA what with their ability to dominate games two dramatically different ways. LeBron is the favorite to win the MVP because he has his team on top of the East and has posted near-triple-double numbers most of the season.
Dwight, meanwhile, should be the landslide winner of the Defensive Player of the Year. He is just a matter of games from becoming the fifth player ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season. David Lee would have to average 20 rebounds a game down the stretch, and Chris Anderson would need five-plus blocks a night the rest of the way – and that’s only if Dwight doesn’t scratch in either category. Not going to happen.
Being a face of the NBA suits Dwight just fine, and he knows LeBron, his friend from the Olympics, is right there with him.&n bsp;
``Hopefully that’s the case. We both want to set a standard for how the game is played for years to come,’’ Dwight said. ``We’re both doing it from two different positions. We’re trying to do the best job we can for ourselves and our teams. He went to Cleveland, which was a struggling team before he got there and he brought some life back there. I’m trying to do the same, bring some life back to O-town.’’
Thursday, April 2, 2009
YOU ASKED, DWIGHT ANSWERED
Here is our first installment of the ``Ask Dwight'' segment we will be running weekly to help bring fans closer to the Me.
Remember, if you have a question for Me, send it to questions@dwighthoward.com and I will pick and choose a few each week for the site.
Thanks everyone for visiting the website each day.
QUESTION: I’m Dwight ’s biggest fan in the world, and yes I am a girl. And no I don’t just like him because he’s cute, which he is. I like Dwight because he is very dominant in the game of basketball. My question to him would be how does it feel to be considered one of the most dominant men to play the sport. -- Andrea Byers
DWIGHT: It feels good that people consider me a dominant player, but I don’t consider myself that way because there are still so many things that I’m working on. I always say that word, `Dominate,’ to myself before games because I always want that thought in my mind. I want to go out and dominate every game that I play in.
QUESTION: Hey Dwight. My name Is Tony and I’m 15 years old, in second year of high school. I'm 5'11 and I have to play the 5 for the JV team at my school. My coach had high expectations for me at the beginning of the season but I didn't do what I was supposed to do. I kept drifting out to the 3-point line to take the long range shots because we h ad a 6'1 Power Forward who would shoot as soon as he got the ball. So I cleared the paint for him and waited for a kick out. Other times when i got the ball in the post, I didn't have a "go-to" move, I would either just do a hook shot or a mini-fade jumper. I would like to ask you for some advice on what moves I can use that are effective in the post and tips on offensive rebounding. – Tony Shi
DWIGHT: The biggest thing is working on getting a consistent shot off the glass. I did that a lot when I was growing up. I tried to get any shot I had off the square and I knew if I hit the right spot it would go in. I always worked on left-handed and right-handed hooks off the glass.
Watching a lot of film on big men who still play today like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan helped me pick up little things, and kids coming up should do that because you can learn from those guys.
I’d say start off with learning basic moves like a drop step to the baseline, getting to the middle with hook shots and hitting a turn-around jump shot.
QUESTION: I am a die hard Magic fan from Orlando and a huge fan of yours as well. I am very high on this team and I’m sure you are too, but my question is, how do you feel about getting no respect from ESPN or any sports media? It’s almost like they count you out and you’re having one of the best seasons in Orlando Magic history and yet nobody seems to take notice nationally. Does it upset you or motivate you? Just want to let you know I have been going to games with my dad since I was a little kid and this year I have never been more proud the be an Orlando Magic fan. I believe in Magic. -- Matt Guidice,
DWIGHT: It does motivate me. I’ve never gotten respect from people growing up and that’s pushed me to try and be an even better player. It’s tough watching ESPN and all of the other stations and as a team we’re not getting any credit for the stuff that we’re doing. It motivates us and motivates us to be the best.
QUESTION: How do you guys learn to use Coach Van Gundy’s screaming as a motivator? Does it not bother you? Don’t you get sick of it? -- Omar DaShiki,
DWIGHT: Sometimes it’s motivating, but 90 percent of the time it does upset me. But he has a way of saying all of the right things. But when you are on the court, in the heat of battle, you don’t somebody getting on you. But that’s just the way it is with him.
QUESTION: Hey, D-12, I’m a big fan. I was just wondering what you consider to be your favorite verse in the Bible. – Unknown.
DWIGHT: I’ve got so many of them that really it’s so hard to choose. But I d have to say that it’s Philippians 4:13: For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
QUESTION: Hi. I just wondered what your favorite zoo animal is and why? Cheers, Drew. -- Drew
DWIGHT: Man, I haven’t been to the zoo since I was a little kid. C’mon man.
Remember, if you have a question for Me, send it to questions@dwighthoward.com and I will pick and choose a few each week for the site.
Thanks everyone for visiting the website each day.
QUESTION: I’m Dwight ’s biggest fan in the world, and yes I am a girl. And no I don’t just like him because he’s cute, which he is. I like Dwight because he is very dominant in the game of basketball. My question to him would be how does it feel to be considered one of the most dominant men to play the sport. -- Andrea Byers
DWIGHT: It feels good that people consider me a dominant player, but I don’t consider myself that way because there are still so many things that I’m working on. I always say that word, `Dominate,’ to myself before games because I always want that thought in my mind. I want to go out and dominate every game that I play in.
QUESTION: Hey Dwight. My name Is Tony and I’m 15 years old, in second year of high school. I'm 5'11 and I have to play the 5 for the JV team at my school. My coach had high expectations for me at the beginning of the season but I didn't do what I was supposed to do. I kept drifting out to the 3-point line to take the long range shots because we h ad a 6'1 Power Forward who would shoot as soon as he got the ball. So I cleared the paint for him and waited for a kick out. Other times when i got the ball in the post, I didn't have a "go-to" move, I would either just do a hook shot or a mini-fade jumper. I would like to ask you for some advice on what moves I can use that are effective in the post and tips on offensive rebounding. – Tony Shi
DWIGHT: The biggest thing is working on getting a consistent shot off the glass. I did that a lot when I was growing up. I tried to get any shot I had off the square and I knew if I hit the right spot it would go in. I always worked on left-handed and right-handed hooks off the glass.
Watching a lot of film on big men who still play today like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan helped me pick up little things, and kids coming up should do that because you can learn from those guys.
I’d say start off with learning basic moves like a drop step to the baseline, getting to the middle with hook shots and hitting a turn-around jump shot.
QUESTION: I am a die hard Magic fan from Orlando and a huge fan of yours as well. I am very high on this team and I’m sure you are too, but my question is, how do you feel about getting no respect from ESPN or any sports media? It’s almost like they count you out and you’re having one of the best seasons in Orlando Magic history and yet nobody seems to take notice nationally. Does it upset you or motivate you? Just want to let you know I have been going to games with my dad since I was a little kid and this year I have never been more proud the be an Orlando Magic fan. I believe in Magic. -- Matt Guidice,
DWIGHT: It does motivate me. I’ve never gotten respect from people growing up and that’s pushed me to try and be an even better player. It’s tough watching ESPN and all of the other stations and as a team we’re not getting any credit for the stuff that we’re doing. It motivates us and motivates us to be the best.
QUESTION: How do you guys learn to use Coach Van Gundy’s screaming as a motivator? Does it not bother you? Don’t you get sick of it? -- Omar DaShiki,
DWIGHT: Sometimes it’s motivating, but 90 percent of the time it does upset me. But he has a way of saying all of the right things. But when you are on the court, in the heat of battle, you don’t somebody getting on you. But that’s just the way it is with him.
QUESTION: Hey, D-12, I’m a big fan. I was just wondering what you consider to be your favorite verse in the Bible. – Unknown.
DWIGHT: I’ve got so many of them that really it’s so hard to choose. But I d have to say that it’s Philippians 4:13: For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
QUESTION: Hi. I just wondered what your favorite zoo animal is and why? Cheers, Drew. -- Drew
DWIGHT: Man, I haven’t been to the zoo since I was a little kid. C’mon man.
DWIGHT SCORES 30, BUT BOSH GETS WIN
Dwight Howard’s face formed a frown, his shoulders slumped and he shook his head disgustedly late Wednesday night. And the emphasis for the upset feelings wasn’t even that his Orlando Magic lost 99-95 to the Toronto Raptors.
Instead, it was a pride issue that was bothering Dwight most.
``I’m heart-broken and now I’ve got to take my rival out to dinner,’’ Dwiught said, half-jokingly. ``That’s the deal, loser buys dinner. And I really was looking forward to saving my money.’’
The friendship between Dwight and Bosh goes all the way back to Atlanta when Dwight was a high school senior at Southwest Christian High School and Bosh was a freshman star at Georgia Tech.
Their bond has strengthened through the years as they have competed together for Team USA. The two worked out together, along with Carlos Boozer, during the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Dwight got the best of Bosh statistically on Wednesday, outscoring him 30 to 24. Bosh had more rebounds (12 to 9) and more blocked shots (three to one), but Dwight had three steals.
But Bosh did hit a dagger of a shot over Dwight with 23.6 seconds remaining to keep the Raptors up three points as Orlando drew close. Dwight was up on Bosh on the play, making him shoot over his outstretched arm.20Still, Bosh hit nothing but net.
``I was right in his face, but he just hit a tough shot,’’ Dwight said. ``There’s nothing more you can do about it. Had I laid back he probably made the three. But that was a contested shot and he still made it.’’
Bosh, who made 10 of 20 shots, admitted that that basket was his toughest of the night.
``I have to give credit to Dwight because he played good initial defense,’’ Bosh said. ``I knew I didn’t have much time and I had to get a shot up to the basket. I didn’t really know where I was on the court, but I had to get up a shot. It felt good as soon as it left my hand.’’
The loss ended the Magic’s six-game winning streak and dropped Orlando (55-19) a game back of Boston (57-19) in the race for the No. 2 seed. The Celtics rallied at the end of regulation and the first overtime and beat Charlotte in two OTs.
Dwight is hoping that Wednesday’s loss to Toronto will be a wake-up call for the Magic, especially with Cleveland coming to town for a nationally televised showdown on Friday.
``I don’t think it’s our focus as much as it is our energy. We didn’t come out with a lot of energy and Toronto did,’’ Dwight said. ``We’ve got to be consistent with our energy and effort. Cleveland is playing the best basketball of all the teams in the NBA, so we know what they are going to come in here with. We have to come out Friday with a better effort.’’
Instead, it was a pride issue that was bothering Dwight most.
``I’m heart-broken and now I’ve got to take my rival out to dinner,’’ Dwiught said, half-jokingly. ``That’s the deal, loser buys dinner. And I really was looking forward to saving my money.’’
The friendship between Dwight and Bosh goes all the way back to Atlanta when Dwight was a high school senior at Southwest Christian High School and Bosh was a freshman star at Georgia Tech.
Their bond has strengthened through the years as they have competed together for Team USA. The two worked out together, along with Carlos Boozer, during the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Dwight got the best of Bosh statistically on Wednesday, outscoring him 30 to 24. Bosh had more rebounds (12 to 9) and more blocked shots (three to one), but Dwight had three steals.
But Bosh did hit a dagger of a shot over Dwight with 23.6 seconds remaining to keep the Raptors up three points as Orlando drew close. Dwight was up on Bosh on the play, making him shoot over his outstretched arm.20Still, Bosh hit nothing but net.
``I was right in his face, but he just hit a tough shot,’’ Dwight said. ``There’s nothing more you can do about it. Had I laid back he probably made the three. But that was a contested shot and he still made it.’’
Bosh, who made 10 of 20 shots, admitted that that basket was his toughest of the night.
``I have to give credit to Dwight because he played good initial defense,’’ Bosh said. ``I knew I didn’t have much time and I had to get a shot up to the basket. I didn’t really know where I was on the court, but I had to get up a shot. It felt good as soon as it left my hand.’’
The loss ended the Magic’s six-game winning streak and dropped Orlando (55-19) a game back of Boston (57-19) in the race for the No. 2 seed. The Celtics rallied at the end of regulation and the first overtime and beat Charlotte in two OTs.
Dwight is hoping that Wednesday’s loss to Toronto will be a wake-up call for the Magic, especially with Cleveland coming to town for a nationally televised showdown on Friday.
``I don’t think it’s our focus as much as it is our energy. We didn’t come out with a lot of energy and Toronto did,’’ Dwight said. ``We’ve got to be consistent with our energy and effort. Cleveland is playing the best basketball of all the teams in the NBA, so we know what they are going to come in here with. We have to come out Friday with a better effort.’’
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
DWIGHT’S DOUBLE-DOUBLES HELP FIGHT AGAINST CHILD ABUSE
Orlando Magic franchise center Dwight Howard already answers to the nicknames ``Manchild’’ and ``Thunder,’’ but another accurate moniker for the three-time all-star might be ``The Daily Double.’’
He entered Wednesday night’s game against Toronto with 57 double-doubles this season, which ranks him second in the NBA. In his five-year NBA career, he has a whopping 278 double-doubles, including a NBA-high 69 last year. He also tied the Magic’s franchise record earlier this year with 18 consecutive double-doubles from Jan. 6-Feb. 17.
In the double-double vain, Dwight is working with Wrigley’s Do ublemint chewing gum to fight child abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Dwight spoke nationally with ESPN Radio Wednesday morning about his mission to prevent child abuse.
Doublemint gum is donating funds to PCA (Prevent Child Abuse) for every double-double Dwight registers this season.
During the month of April, NBA fans and fans of Dwight can step up and take part in the challenge on-line by making a donation for every double-double scored by any NBA player. Fans can go to: www.wrigleysdoubledouble.com to make their pledge.
Also, Dwight will appear at Finish Line at the Mall of Millenia on Thursday to donate $20,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. Also, Dwight will reward 50 members of the Walt Disney World branch of the Boys and Girls Club (ages 13-17) a $100 gift card to Finish Line for new shoes.
Dwight won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment award on Saturday for his devotion to making a difference in the Central Florida community. It is the third time in his five-year NBA career that he has won the award.
He entered Wednesday night’s game against Toronto with 57 double-doubles this season, which ranks him second in the NBA. In his five-year NBA career, he has a whopping 278 double-doubles, including a NBA-high 69 last year. He also tied the Magic’s franchise record earlier this year with 18 consecutive double-doubles from Jan. 6-Feb. 17.
In the double-double vain, Dwight is working with Wrigley’s Do ublemint chewing gum to fight child abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Dwight spoke nationally with ESPN Radio Wednesday morning about his mission to prevent child abuse.
Doublemint gum is donating funds to PCA (Prevent Child Abuse) for every double-double Dwight registers this season.
During the month of April, NBA fans and fans of Dwight can step up and take part in the challenge on-line by making a donation for every double-double scored by any NBA player. Fans can go to: www.wrigleysdoubledouble.com to make their pledge.
Also, Dwight will appear at Finish Line at the Mall of Millenia on Thursday to donate $20,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. Also, Dwight will reward 50 members of the Walt Disney World branch of the Boys and Girls Club (ages 13-17) a $100 gift card to Finish Line for new shoes.
Dwight won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment award on Saturday for his devotion to making a difference in the Central Florida community. It is the third time in his five-year NBA career that he has won the award.
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