Dwight Howard's decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers has evoked a vitriolic reaction from most Lakers supporters, from Photoshop images of him in pigtails and cheerleader gear on Jodie Meeks' Instagram to Ice Cube dubbing him Dwight "Coward."
The latest reaction though, from Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, may be the most stinging though, without being as explosive as the rest. Abdul-Jabbar posted a message to his Facebook page that read, "Dwight Howard is a perfect example of the fact that "potential has a shelf life." Laker fans should be patient and allow Mitch & company to prepare themselves to do some serious work in the free agent market."
The man who made the sky hook shot famous also spoke with ESPN about Howard's move away from Los Angeles, a move that eliminated the possibility of being the next great center in a long line of Laker Hall of Famers that includes Wilt Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal.
Kareem said, "At least he'd have an offensive move," when asked a question about being recruited to teach the famous shot to Howard. He also appeared to paint Howard as a bit of a phony for saying he wanted to learn from Houston Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon. Abdul-Jabbar said Howard told him the same thing, but never received a call.
Until now, Howard has followed the lead of Shaq to a tee. He was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic as a freak of nature in the middle, led them to an NBA Finals appearance and beating a future legend in the process (for Shaq it was Michael Jordan Howard defeated LeBron James as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers). He adopted Shaq's Superman moniker and played for the Lakers.
Shaq got rings in L.A. though, while Howard rankled Kobe Bryant and flailed in Mike D'Antoni's offense. Now Shaq, who has belittled Howard often, said Dwight took the "easy route" but leaving to a "little town" like Houston.
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