NBA Q&A: Dwight Howard

Courtesy of Sam Amick 

Q: So you've said plenty of times before that you don't watch TV, yet I see you do have them. You really try to tune out when you're home?

A: Yeah, I don't watch TV. I've got a million TVs in my house, and if I'm watching TV in my room it's a movie. So there's no ESPN, no anything dealing with anything except movies. I just try to keep my head away from all that stuff. If I look at my phone, if I look on Twitter, there's going to be a million crazy messages.

Q: Does the noise that you do hear get to you?

A: Yeah, it does. Every little thing is blown out of proportion, or you might say something and people take it this way, then the more followers (on Twitter) you have then the different opinions you have and the different thoughts they will have on certain situations. I'll do questionnaires with people (on Twitter) ... then when you talk, people are like, "Why are you spending time with us when you should be working on your free throws?" I'm like, "OK, I'm a human being. I do practice, I do all that stuff." But there's no basketball player who sits in the gym all day. If they say that, they're lying. And I'm more than just a basketball player. I like to do other things besides play basketball. Because when my career is done, I can't just go pick up a basketball and keep doing that forever. You've got to take the good with the bad, but the Twitter thing is crazy. But I do enjoy going on there and talking to fans. Love roasting folks ... I enjoy it. I take the good with the bad.

Q: So I went back and looked at the Sports Illustrated cover with you and Steve (Nash) on it today for their season preview today, the one with the headline of...

A: This is gonna be fun... (laughs)

Q: Yeah, you remember. Does it make your head spin at all to think about how this was supposed to go compared to how it's actually gone?

A: It does, because we first got together and I'm thinking about how it's me and Steve Nash on the same team, and I'm looking at how he was with all these players, thinking, "This is going to be great. I'll be catching lobs all day, no-look passes, between-the-leg passes." In our minds, both of us had this fantasy of what we thought it would be like. And when the season started, with injuries and me coming back off of injury and all that stuff, it slowed down that process.

It's kind of tough. We were in a period to where it's like, "Man, nothing can go right for us. This ain't fun. This isn't what we expected." But one thing we will say, from both sides - me and him. Our routines have always been the same - in the gym, every day, lifting, shooting, making sure we eat right. And all that stuff will pay off. It didn't show up in the beginning of the season, but now we're playing a lot better because of that. I admire Steve's willingness to just work through the tough times.

Steve has played throughout his career and never really had any big problems until this year. We all knew coming in that the one thing that could set us all back, like with any great team, was injuries. And it seems like we were just plagued with injuries this year. It was like somebody said, "I'm going to go through the Lakers' roster, and I'm going to touch his shoulder, gonna touch his hip, gonna step on Pau (Gasol's) toe." Everything that could have happened happened. I would say for the most part, that Steve has been that positive guy throughout everything. He's just like, "I'm going to keep my blinders on through everything, which is good."

Q: So all that being said, and knowing that you're not about to say what you'll do this summer, can this still be fun? Can this still happen?

A: It can. I think about it every day. How can I make it better? How can I make this situation fun? What I try to do is to be that guy in the locker room just to bring joy and life into the locker room, despite everything that happens around us. If people take that as not taking it serious, well if you're losing and you come in the locker room with that mentality like, "Man, we just lost another game, then you're never going to get back up." But if you come in, like "It's a new day. Yesterday happened. We lost, didn't play well, but we're going to get it right today," I think that's the only way you can pull yourself out of a hole.

The more negativity and all that stuff just pounds (on you) and brings you down. You've got to find ways to lift yourself up and lift everybody else up. That's what I try to do in the locker room is to lift everybody up - have fun, crack jokes. When you get on the court, we're all business. But in that time, you've got to be able to enjoy what we do. You've got to enjoy the workplace, because that's the only way you can thrive. That's the only way we know how to go, and they love it. Steve and all them say, "Hey, have fun man." Coach (Mike D'Antoni) is like, "Man, I love when you smile and have fun. That's you. Just bring that energy." That's what I try to do.

Q: Talk about the big picture a little bit. When you first came into the league, you were a breath of fresh air. And then you had a good thing going for quite a while. But it's been a long stretch here where you've had a whole lot of negativity around you. How would you describe it?

A: It's been nerve-racking. It's been tough. It's one of the hardest things I've had to deal with. I'd just sit back at home and be like, "Man, I have not changed as a person. Why is all this stuff happening? I've never seen so much negativity. People are hating me, all because I wanted to leave a team.

I take responsibility for some things. A lot of things shouldn't have happened the way they happened...(But) the whole situation in Orlando, I was ready to go. I just felt like I needed a change. They said they were going to trade me (before last season), then they came back and told me they weren't going to trade me. I said, "OK, look, you guys don't want to trade me. I'll play the rest of the season out until you guys trade me. I'm not going to make a big deal about it. I'm not going to make a fuss about it. I'm just going to be here and do whatever you guys want me to do, but I feel like I need a change.

This was right after the lockout, when we first got back. I really thought they were going to trade me, that day that they shook my hand and told me they were going to trade me. It was to Brooklyn. I was ready. I was ready to go. I was looking forward to looking at the TV and it saying I'd been traded. I got back the next day, to practice, and they said they changed their minds and they're not going to trade me. I was hurt and upset, but I told them, "OK, that's fine. You guys don't want to trade me. I'm here. I'll play my hardest. I don't want to give my teammates anything to think about. I just want to play."

Then at the same time, we're winning, we're playing pretty good basketball, and the trade deadline comes up. I just remember All-Star weekend, doing all the events and all the fans coming out, and everything was coming back to my mind - the years that I spent in Orlando, the fans, how much they meant to me and how we went from a city where nobody knew about us, we were the underdogs and everything, into a city where we were like together, and I genuinely care for that city. (Editor's note: After changing his mind on what he wanted several times leading up to the trade deadline last March, Howard agreed to waive his early termination option for this season and thus stayed in Orlando for the time being. He would later ask for a trade again and eventually land with the Lakers)I don't know any other NBA player who would host a barbecue for their city - that's how much I care for Orlando, to where I got strangers from Twitter at 12 and one o'clock in the morning to put together a barbecue for fans. That was in the summer at a park in Orlando. I invited everybody in Orlando to come out.

That's how much I cared for this city. I wanted to show them a different side, like it's not all about basketball, not all about what they're saying. I know I want to be traded from the Orlando Magic, the team, but I love this city. People got that twisted. "Why are you trying to leave us?" But my intention was that I needed a change for my life. But it hurt a lot of people.

Q: Were you surprised at all with how much some of your former teammates fired back at you for the comment about them being guys nobody wanted back then?

A: "I was really shocked at some of the things I heard those guys say - JJ (Redick), Jameer (Nelson) and Rashard (Lewis) - because Jameer and Rashard, those were my two closest people. They knew how I felt about the city. They knew how I felt about the team. They know how I felt about being there. I would never say anything to disrespect those guys.

Q: But did you think those guys who were there deserved more credit or that you needed new guys around you?

A: I felt like those guys deserved some recognition. I felt like Skip to my Lou (Rafer Alston) deserved a lot of recognition for what he did the year we went to the Finals (in 2009). I felt like Anthony Johnson was a big part of us getting to the Finals. I felt like Courtney Lee was great. I felt like Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis - I could keep going. These guys were awesome to me. They made me Dwight Howard, and I'll never take that away from them. It was never a fact that I wanted to disrespect that. Me and Rashard were like this (puts hands together) - anything Rashard needed, anything Rashard wanted, any time Rashard wanted to hang out. Those are my dogs, so I would never, ever disrespect them.

Q: Have you kept in touch with the guys who are still there since you left?

A: Not as much. I know those guys probably hear stuff, and they think that "Dwight doesn't really care for us." I can recall one day, Tony Battie, we were having a team meeting before the (2008-09) season. And I told the guys in the locker room, I said, "Listen, nobody believes we can win the championship. But I believe in all of you guys." I said, "I wouldn't trade you guys for the world." So Tony Battie, as a joke after the meeting, says, "So you're telling me that you wouldn't trade J.J. Redick for the '96 (Michael) Jordan? And I said, "No, I would not trade J.J. Redick for the '96 Jordan." (laughs) I said, "I believe J.J. Redick can do something that we need for our team." And that's how much faith I had in that team that went to the Finals. That hurt. I just felt like the biggest thing that they were trying to do was, "OK, well Dwight is coming back to Orlando, so let's rile up the fans, rile up all this to get everybody against Dwight." But I never had an issue with the fans, never had an issue with the players I played with. None of that stuff.

Q: Have you tried to clear it up with any of them? 

A: I texted Jameer after this thing blew up about them thinking that I was saying that they were players that nobody wanted, but he didn't respond. I just wanted to tell him, say "Hey man, they're blowing it up out of proportion. I don't mean any kind of disrespect toward you." That was it.

Q: Let's jump over to the present tense now. Beyond winning, what has to happen between now and the end of the season for you to feel good about re-signing? Is it feeling good about the way you're being used offensively? Is it the vibe with your teammates? What is it?

A: I would say this, and it's like I've been saying all year: the only thing that matters is right now. For everybody. Instead of putting all your thoughts in the future and what's going to happen at the end of the season, the only thing that should be talked about is what happens right now. Like last season, I put all my thoughts at the end of the season instead of doing what I needed to do every night. Yeah, I played well. I did what I had to do. But my thoughts were not always where they needed to be. I had to learn from that. I can't think about the future when it comes to this season.

We've got to control right now. We've got to control us getting back on track. I've got to control me getting healthy so I can finish out this season. That's my only focus. Training. Getting acupuncture. Doing everything I can to my body just so I can get back to being where I need to be so we can all win. That's my focus right there. I don't want to focus on nothing else, because then my mind goes off and it gets away from what's important, and what's important is us winning. If that's me getting five touches, me getting 30 touches - if you come from a situation where you got a lot of touches to where you're not getting a lot of touches, of course it's a shock. But there are still ways that I can control the game, and I can't allow that situation to allow me to check out of a game.

That happened my rookie year, and it usually happens to guys when they first get to a new team. They get upset sometimes, and sometimes they check out. But for us, and for what I can bring to any team, it doesn't show up on a stat sheet. I can control a game by scoring five points or 30 points. It's lovely when you score 30 points, because that's what everybody talks about. You scored 30 points, and it looks good on paper. But you can score 51 points in a game and lose. It's about how you affect the game on both ends.

Defense and rebounding comes easy. That's simple. But in order for us to succeed, I have to evolve offensively. And as a big, when we are fed, when we get those shots, when we get going, it just changes everything about us. It makes us tick when we get a couple shots early in the game, when we get a couple dunks. Now we're amped up. That's how a lot of bigs operate. That's how I've been my whole life. I get into a rhythm, get into a groove, and everything is going well. I'm blocking more shots, I'm rebounding, and I feel like I'm a part of what's going on.

Q: Is there a sweet spot there where you and Kobe can compromise in terms of the offensive and defensive loads and you can have the sort of fit you're hoping for? 

A: I know that I can dominate down low. That's a given. But do we have to come to a compromise? We just have to learn how to play together. That takes time. We're not going to give up on it. We're not going to stop trying. We're going to keep learning and figuring out ways where we both can be effective on offense and defense. I'm going to find ways to be more effective. The better shape I get into, the better shape my body gets into - as far as my shoulder, my back, and all that stuff - the better I'll be. I'll be able to do more stuff.


Q: You've said before that there's a lot about your recovery that people don't realize. What haven't people been aware of?

A: I've got to change my whole diet, for one. It's not like I was eating super bad, but I just want to do whatever I can to speed up this recovery process. People don't know how tough it is being a world-class athlete, being on top, to having back surgery and you have to lay on your back for six months. No running, no jumping, no conditioning, no lifting weights. There was nothing I could do. For five months, nothing I could do. Then after five months, I was able to start getting on a treadmill and walking at a three mile-per-hour pace. So I went from three miles (an hour) to playing basketball in a month. That's hard. It's not something that was easy for me to deal with. I lost all the strength in my calf muscle, in my leg. I couldn't do a toe raise. People don't understand, that in basketball you need your calves just to get off the floor and get lift, and you're talking about somebody who was jumping, touching the top of the backboard, and now I couldn't even do a calf raise. That's scary. So from me going through that, sitting in the doctor's office every day where - I've got film on my phone, of the doctor saying, "You got that much air! Just a little bit." People didn't recognize how hard that was just to go through that whole process.

Q: So why come back so soon?

A: For one, I wanted to show people how tough I was and how hungry I was to come back and win. So I just pushed myself extra hard to come back early, even though I knew that I probably was going to be all the way. I just felt like, "Man, I'm recovering. My calf muscle is getting stronger." But I was in no shape - I can recall trying to run, and while I'm running it just felt like something in my back was just pulling me towards the ground, and it hurt like hell. And I pushed myself through it, got where I am today. It was tough.

Everybody can relate to (back injuries). My dad was there. My mom. Everybody saw how I couldn't do nothing. I went from doing nothing to playing basketball in a month, and it was tough. People come out and watch the games, and they say, "Why doesn't he get rebounds?" And some days my legs are just not there. The doctor said it takes a full year to recover from this. A full year. So if I sat home for a year and just rehabbed and came back next season, it would've been great. But I was like, "No, I want to be here." I wanted to come back, driven off playing with Kobe, playing with Steve, playing for the Lakers, I'm going to come back. Did I come back too early? I did. But I was just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win.

Q: Did you get pressure to come back?

A: Nobody really pressured me. My goal was to try to be ready for preseason just to be in a little bit of shape. I felt pretty good coming in. I knew my lift and my explosiveness wasn't there, and my conditioning, but I just tried to come back and play for preseason. I still had some pain here and there, but I just tried to tough it out.

It wasn't as easy as people try to think it is. Oh man, you're Superman. For these people to say that, they just say anything but they really don't know what's going on. You're talking about a guy who battles through the pain. It's a battle. I'm running, hitting somebody in the chest, every night I'm using my arms, boxing out, pushing folks around, blocking shots, I'm in the paint, battling guys who are 270, 280 (pounds), and they're running at me full speed, and I've got to use all this, and my shoulder is taking a pounding, my back. Last year, I can recall, (then-Philadelphia forward) Elton Brand, I'm running the floor getting ready to seal him, and he's just taking his elbow "Bam, popping me in my back," and I felt it every time. But I just kept being strong because that's who I am. People don't understand that. They see that if I sit out a couple games, I'm weak-minded, I'm not strong mentally. But if you look at my career, since I've been in the NBA, I've missed maybe - up until this year - maybe 25 games. They were saying I was Ironman because I never missed a game. I've had to play with a cracked sternum, I've hurt my ankles, messed up my wrist. I've had problems, but I've just played through them. That's how I was. Even my last year (in Orlando), back spasms, I was having them before games but I never came out and said that. I just kept playing through it.

Q: I noticed the other day that (the New Orleans Hornets') Jason Smith had his season ended with a torn labrum so he could have surgery.

A: (Smith) just had surgery. Jameer Nelson tore his labrum, and he had to have surgery. Mine is torn, but if I don't play through it, then I'm weak. I haven't thought about doing surgery, just because I feel like I can continue to play. There are times when it hurts like hell, when I feel like it's going to fall off, and I just push myself through it. That doesn't mean I'm weak."

Q: I know you have acupuncture here soon, so go back to the Orlando experience for a minute. Looking back on it, is it safe to assume all the criticism got to you?

A: It was a struggle last season with all the stuff that was going on. I really didn't want to show my face. I really didn't want to do anything, because I just felt so bad about some things - what people were saying, how people were treating me or whatever. I just wanted to stay home and not be a part of anything. That's not who I am. Now I'm a lot stronger than I was, but I did allow it to affect me in a way that it's never affected me before.

In Orlando, I'm somebody who after every game I was going out to eat every night at Waffle House, chilling with the people at Waffle House, Ms. Marsha, that's the lady - that was my favorite (laughs). I'd go to waffle house, and in Orlando I would go everywhere. That's who I was. But then I allowed everything that happened to put me in a shell. A lot of my friends and people around me are just telling me, "Yo, you can't allow this stuff to affect you." But it did, because I just couldn't stop thinking about how I went from a loved person to being hated for some crazy stuff, for wanting to leave a team.

I'm better now. My family is better. They hate it. They hate everything that's being said, they want to come out and say stuff, like "Yo, this is my son, we watched him do this, you can't just talk about him like this." I have to tell them, "Listen, my motto now is humility before honor." I'm going through so much, and I know that I'm going through all this for a reason, just to make me stronger. I believe that this is going to help me become who I want to be as a basketball player and as a person. I take it now as a blessing that I went through all this. At first, I was just, "Why, why why why?" Why am I getting picked on?" Instead of saying, "You know what? I'm going to use this to fuel me and fuel everything that's happening." That's what I've been doing.

Q: Do you have a vision for how this whole thing could turn around for you? I've wondered if there may be a time when your story ends up being like (the Miami Heat's) LeBron (James)?

A: No lie. People are going to say I'm sensitive about it, but when I saw LeBron win the title, I was actually in tears. One, because I wanted to be there and win a championship, and I was stuck in the bed hurt because I had surgery on my back. And two, because I was generally happy for him. I know what kind of person LeBron is, and what happened to him that whole year to where they were killing him for everything, and I'm like, "Man, just leave that man alone." And I could tell, because I felt that same way when I had to leave Orlando, I could tell that he was hurt that he had to get up in front of the whole world and say that he was going to Miami. I could tell. It just looked like there was a ball in his throat (when he announced his decision on ESPN), like he had to say it and I could see it. Then they showed people burning his jersey, and all that stuff, and that hurt. I know it hurt him, because it hurt me. I was just so happy for him.

Throughout all the stuff he went through. Even though he didn't have surgery and all that stuff, but through all the stuff he had to go through he came out on top. I respect him for it. He's inspired me from that aspect, knowing that throughout all the stuff that I've gone through, that there's a treasure at the end of the rainbow, a jackpot. At the end of all this stuff, there's going to be something great. That's what I look for.

Q: Your coach said the other day that he thought you were in a better place right now. It sounds that way, but do you agree?

A: "I'm in a lot better place than I was last season, and this summer now. But that stuff takes time, and I appreciate the whole process, the process of being in a walker after surgery, to being able to only walk 10 steps, being able to walk a block, and a mile, then on a treadmill, then to jog, then to jump. The first time when I got traded here to LA, I couldn't even do jumpshots. I could only stand at the goal, and go like this (he motions a point-blank shot going straight up). And I could only do 10. They said I don't need to do that for my back. That whole process is hard.

Q: So how come Adidas didn't do a series on your comeback like they did with (Chicago's) Derrick Rose?

A: That's one of those things. The back and knee are two different things. When you're talking about your back, your back controls your whole body. That's why when somebody breaks their neck, they could be paralyzed. When I hurt my back, I can recall it. The moment I hurt my back, it hurt all the way down my leg, and my leg was just shaking. The time I hurt it the worst, out of all the times I got hit in the games, it was in practice. I was going up for a dunk, and somebody tried to hold me down. And as I was coming up, I heard (makes a popping noise).

That's when I tried to do like this with my neck, and I could feel a sharp pain go from here all the way down to my calf muscle. My leg just started shaking - every day - shaking like that. One day, it just stopped. I couldn't do calf raises - couldn't do nothing....It's been a long process, but it's almost over. Even sitting here talking to you now, both of my legs are tingling. It happens in games too.

I get what I can when I'm on the court. I might not have everything the way I used to - "Where's the Superman from Orlando?" I don't have that right now. It's not all the way there. But I'm working my butt off to get there. I work my butt off - I want to cuss, but I work my butt off to where I am today.

A lot of people don't see how much I actually put in the work. Just because I spend time with fans, or I want to go to the movies or I want to have a life, that I've dedicated myself to winning a championship. I've always been driven to want to be the best.