Now former Lakers center Dwight Howard wasn't impressed with the team, Kobe Bryant and the bright lights of Hollyweird thus he decided to leave and sign with the Houston Rockets - (Chandler B. Beach photo)

Kobe Bryant is driving to be one of the best NBA players ever... the question... is he better than Michael Jordan? - (Keith Allison photo) KOBE BRYANT or MICHAEL JORDAN?

SPORTS NOTES - DWIGHT (Howard) FLIGHT from LA LAKERS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

The bright lights of Hollyweird were not suitable for someone that wants to play the game of basketball and not be a city that is about playing games. Hollyweird and the Lakers are not for Dwight Howard who is Houston bound - One year of being involved in the Lakers dysfunctional organization was enough for Dwight Howard - Better Than Jordan ELGIN BAYLOR - LIGHTENING IN A BOTTLE

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Money and the bright lights of Hollyweird apparently didn't matter to 27-year-old Dwight Howard who made a man's decision to walk away from the Los Angeles Lakers and their haughtiness. When Howard signed with the Lakers thus teaming up with former NBA MVP's Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash the NBA world stood still fearing that it was all over and the Lakers had formed one of the greatest NBA teams of all time that couldn't be beat. The reality would come to fore that nothing could be further from the truth.

After a disastrous season the Lakers finished strong and just made it into the playoffs. They lost Kobe Bryant due to injury followed by being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The team was in chaos throughout the season as there was friction between Bryant and Howard. The other component in the big three wheel Nash suffered an injury and missed much of the season.

Another element of the Lakers failure and creating disenchantment among the squad was with just a few games into the season they fired their coach Mike Brown and replaced him with Mike D'Antoni The Lakers environment was not a comfortable one. From the start the Lakers dilemma was a nightmare as they never jelled as a team or organization and Howard didn't fit into a system designed to feature Bryant.

In the latest episode to this saga is Howard decided to depart Hollyweird for more comfortable pastures in Houston Texas FOR LESS MONEY. It is an indicator how bad the situation was for someone that wanted to be a featured member of a team and was basically ignored created resentment. Howard simply didn't want to carry Bryant's baggage. When the infamous Rodney King blurted out those riveting words why can't we all just get along he didn't have the Lakers in mind but his expression now applies to the self imposed royalty of the NBA. One year being involved in the Lakers dysfunctional organization was enough for Dwight Howard.

The problem was chemistry or in the Lakers case the lack of it. Kobe Bryant is what the Lakers are all about and that apparently is not a good thing. There is no Kobe in TEAM as the Lakers are finding that out. Since Bryant emerged as the Lakers primary star and their only go to guy the Lakers have experienced other players that have departed. Shaquille O'Neal was traded as a result of the jealousy of who's the man between Bryant and the Shaq Man thus the Lakers front office traded their long time top gun and rap singer the Shaq Man to the Miami Heat.

Andrew Bynum was another center to bite the dust. Bynum was often the focus of Bryant's anger in Kobe's own way of trying to encourage Bynum to step up his game. The spotlight is currently on Howard who Shaq claims that Hollyweird is too much for the Superman. There could be some resentment from Shaq who claims he is the NBA's first Superman a title that Howard took when he wore a Superman's cape in winning a slam dunk title.

Shaq's argument that Hollywierd is too much for Howard is a point well taken BUT the reality is some people prefer to live in the real world and not in a fantasy, drug infested land cluttered with phony people. Shaq's comment raises the question what's wrong with that? The underlying problem is Bryant who just can't seem to get along with his centers as he also had a lot of negative things to say in the past about current teammate Pau Gasol.

This is now water under the bridge in Laker Faker Land but another disturbing occurrence with their over indulgence in massaging their Laker egos are uncharacteristic statements by former coach Phil Jackson who made sarcastic remarks about Howard and his departure to Houston. His comments could largely be influenced by his relationship to Jeannie Buss who is his girlfriend and the daughter to the now deceased Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Jeannie is now the heir to the Lakers throne.

As life goes on so does Howard who made a man's decision to leave the Lakers problems behind go on with his life and be in a stable environment. The question is... WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT? The bottom line is... SUPERMAN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!!!

Better Than Jordan ELGIN BAYLOR - LIGHTENING IN A BOTTLE

When one tries to pick the greatest of all time NBA ALL-STAR team one of the problems is those expressing their opinions have little to no knowledge of the players that played before the pundits were born. We've asked numerous NBA fans and journalists if they knew about the greatness of former Lakers star Elgin Baylor who was a major star during the late 50's and throughout the 60's the response was NO.

From my perspective and EXPERIENCE Baylor is the greatest player that I have ever seen. Before he had knee problems he was the premiere scorer in the league prior to Wilt Chamberlain making his 7"1"presence and scoring prowess known.

Baylor was quick and strong. He could shoot from three point land before that rule was initiated. He could drive and rebound and perform acrobatics in the air while shooting. He was a major physical presence and listed as 6'5". That is hard to believe as standing next to him he is the biggest 6'5" that I have ever seen.

The person that can best qualify Baylor's skills against Jordan's played against Baylor and saw Jordan play in his prime. That person is former Boston Celtic great Bill Russell.

COMING: THE NBA'S GREATEST of ALL TIME

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