Meanwhile, the sport was changing, making traditional centers like Howard less effective. After another season in Houston, Howard spent the next five years in five teams: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. He was also traded to the Grizzlies and the Nets, so he gave up before playing any game. He returned to the Lakers this season for the third period.
One evening in Washington, after a game at the start of his lonely season, an arena worker yelled “Brick!” when Howard missed the practice free throws, second Il Washington Post e Atletico.
Howard didn’t spend much time physically with the Wizards, sidelined for most of the season after back surgery.
He was seen as a player who would be a problem, who would complain about his minutes and his opportunities. He was booed in Orlando and booed in Los Angeles.
When the Lakers signed him in 2019, they gave him an unsecured contract, which provided little security for Howard if the meeting went bad.
“He came in every day, beat everyone up, greeted everyone, made sure everyone knew he was happy in the situation he was in,” said JaVale McGee, who started ahead of Howard with the Lakers during the 2019-20 season. “He was consistently the top professional.”
McGee added, when asked if showing that quality seemed important to Howard: “I definitely think it was only important to hearsay and the way people talk about you in the league, especially GMs and coaches. It can really ruin your image ”.
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