After a tumultuous year with the Los Angeles Lakers marked by a rumored conflict with Kobe Bryant and a first-round sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, new Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard says he feels healthy and confident of bringing a championship to the city.
On the eve of the start of the Rockets training camp, Howard told Yahoo! Sports that the team can do something special if they stay together and stay focused.
Howard was noticeably off last year, partly due to an offseason back surgery that limited his movement and explosiveness. Once considered the NBA's best center, Howard lacked the dominating play last season that led to an ugly first-round exit and his eventual signing with the Rockets, ditching Bryant and the Lakers in the process. This year, he says he feels healthy and capable of doing his thing inside the paint.
"For me, being healthy, I think it's going to bring back a lot of the things that I've done in the past,'' Howard said. ''I'm very excited about it.''
Howard, who averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds last year for the Lakers, signed a four-year contract worth $88 million with the Rockets which was a year shorter and way below the $118 million he could have made in Los Angeles.
Still, Howard thinks he made the right decision despite leaving more money in the table. ''I'm in a better place mentally, spiritually and physically,'' Howard said.
In Houston, Howard will team up with All-Star James Harden to form what could be the best big man-small man combo in the league.
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