Dwight Howard

Shaquille O’Neal vs. Dwight Howard! Why is Shaq Always Dissing Him? – NBA Basketball

by JRSportBrief on February 15, 2012 · 0 comments

Shaquille O’Neal is retired and will go down as one of the best centers in NBA history! Why do you think he continues to throw jabs at current Orlando Magic All Star center Dwight Howard?

JRSportBrief covers the latest sports news, game highlights, and athletes of professional sports. JR gives his opinions on all sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Boxing, MMA and all the major leagues. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, the MLB World Series, or the NFL Superbowl, JRʼs got his own opinions and he wants to hear yours! New Episodes all week long.

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Dwight Howard Wouldn’t Mind Being On the Bulls

by Josh Dhani on January 30, 2012

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Dwight Howard is clearly not a happy man in Orlando now. The Magic are on a losing-streak, coming off some losses that can piss any superstar off. It starts in Boston when the Magic blew a 27-point lead to lose 91-83 to the Celtics. Then came the whooping by the Hornets, in which Howard lashed out on his teammates. And then there was last night, where the Magic got destroyed by Danny Granger and the Pacers.

It doesn’t look like he will be staying in Orlando now, even if they try to bring a superstar, which doesn’t really seem likely. As of now, Howard’ wish list includes the Lakers, Mavericks, Clippers and Nets. However, there’s a new team that has been added, as Howard could head to the Windy City.

“If I could play with Derrick right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen,” Howard told the Chicago Tribune. “It has nothing to do with me not wanting to play with Derrick Rose. I love him. That’s my brother.”

Howard and Rose both are sponsored by adidas, and rumors came up that if these two were on the same team, the company wouldn’t like that. Howard let the rumors die down in his other statement, saying: “It has nothing to do with adidas. In fact, adidas would love that because me and Derrick have the same guy.”

Howard is playing solid so far, with 20.6 points and 15.5 rebounds averaging per game. Orlando stands at 12-8, as they are on a three-game losing-streak.

Can Howard head to the Bulls? We’ll see. Chicago will be a very dominant team with a tandem of Rose and Howard. The question is, what do the Magic prefer in return from each of the teams on Howard’ wish list: Blake/Jordan, Pau/Bynum, Lopez/draft picks, or Boozer/Noah and/or Deng.

We’ll see what happens, but it’s for sure that Howard is going to be traded. They just can’t let him walk this off-season.

Looking forward to where your new home. Right now, it looks like it will be Chicago. The Lakers look fine with Bynum and Pau, and I just don’t think those two are as appealing. I just can’t see Clippers giving up Blake Griffin for that. The Nets deal would be the worst, especially with Lopez and that injury. Chicago looks like they have the best deal in place.

Make it happen Chi-Town.
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Written by Josh Dhani, Founder (Archive/RSS)

Josh has been writing since 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the website, Hardcourt Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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Danny Granger, George Hill Help Pacers Bounce Back Over Magic

by Josh Dhani on January 29, 2012

There hasn’t been a better week to get back on track and finally clicking so far this season for Danny Granger. After struggling for much of the season, Granger has finally been putting up points this week in the toughest stretch of the season so far.

Indiana had to go through some rough places this week, going against teams like Lakers, Bulls, Magic (twice), and Celtics. The finish? 3-2. Not bad.  And they capped off tonight spectacular, improving to 13-6 on the season with a 106-85 beating in Orlando.

Granger had 24 points on undoubtedly his best game of the season so far. Indiana snapped a six-game losing-streak to the Magic, including getting revenge after the 102-83 loss a few days ago in Conseco Fieldhouse. Indiana also avoided losing consecutive games.

“We do react well to adversity,” Granger said. “I think that’s a sign of a really good team. We’ve said after every loss we’ve had, ‘We don’t want to lose two in a row.’ And we haven’t yet.”

Indiana was leading strong, with a 41-29 lead in the second quarter. But Orlando went on a run, later leading at the end of halftime. However, in the second half, the Pacers took control and it seemed as if it was all but over when Tyler Hansbrough got the huge buzzer-beating put-back shot at the end of the third. Indiana was too good and energized to get beat.

Despite Dwight Howard’s 24-point, 13-rebound performance, Indiana took control. After seeing George Hill’s struggles throughout the season, many questioned if it was worth trading for him and giving up Kawhi Leonard. But today, he turned out as the MVP, getting big turnovers and ending up with 16 points off the bench. He finally came through.  David West also had 16 points and played solid, too. There was also Darren Collison, who had a double-double with eleven points and ten assists, finally evolving into a solid point guard now.

Everything was just clicking for Indy. Indiana has just been playing solid and they are growing, with stronger mental toughness and being able to carry it out towards the end of games.

“I think it’s improved since last year,” he said. “I think the playoffs helped us and it carried over for this season.”

This was a huge bounce-back victory after their nightmare 94-87 loss in Boston on Friday night. The Pacers have looked all but good so far this season, with an improved record of 8-5 on the road, much better than the past few years at this point.

“It is a lot of fun to win and be one of the top teams right now,” Granger said. “We are playing together and that is the biggest thing. We have so much talent now. We are in position to really contend for the East.”

Indiana will play New Jersey next on Tuesday night, as they will rock the ABA uniforms from the 1971-74 seasons.

Awesome win.

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Written by Josh Dhani, Founder (Archive/RSS)

Josh has been writing since 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the website, Hardcourt Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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Dwight Howard to the New York Knicks?! Good Idea? – NBA Basketball – JRSportBrief

by JRSportBrief on January 25, 2012

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The latest rumor involving star center Dwight Howard has him going to the New York Knicks for Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler! Would this be a good move for the Knicks or Orlando Magic?

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JRSportBrief (Archive/Feed)

JRSportBrief covers the latest sports news, game highlights, and athletes of professional sports. JR gives his opinions on all sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Boxing, MMA and all the major leagues. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, the MLB World Series, or the NFL Superbowl, JRʼs got his own opinions and he wants to hear yours! New Episodes all week long.. Follow @JrSportBrief

JRSportBrief covers the latest sports news, game highlights, and athletes of professional sports. JR gives his opinions on all sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Boxing, MMA and all the major leagues. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, the MLB World Series, or the NFL Superbowl, JRʼs got his own opinions and he wants to hear yours! New Episodes all week long.

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Howard’s Next Destination Is Presumably Hollywood

by Jonathan Mathis on January 20, 2012

Entertainer, he is indeed. The setting, fittingly, is perfect in Hollywood, a gorgeous city filled with movie stars, lights, cameras and much action, if and when Dwight Howard prefers to leave from Disney World and the sunniest address for a contending franchise in Southern California. It’s clear that he wants out of Orlando to possibly end a bleak stint in his early years as an NBA star for a franchise with likely no promise in the near future.

It’s no surprise the all-star center, a brilliant entertainer for the NBA show business, is longing to leave behind the Orlando Magic, jaded of the failed personnel decisions by GM Otis Smith for refusing to make any moves. With a bundle of behind-the-scene issues, we are starting to sense unhappiness from Howard, disgruntled and upset after asking Smith to assemble a supporting cast behind him.

The sound of this, which can’t be good for the Magic or even the most annoyed fans, is a perturbed player whining and imagining himself playing in a Clippers or Lakers uniform. It’s even when the most confounded fans can’t help but wonder where he might end up soon, whether he will be playing on center stage in Hollywood.

So maybe he can bring high-flying dunks to L.A., rise to the occasion as a superhero – also known as Superman – and then pose as a one-two punch alongside Kobe Bryant. For a change of scenery, anyway, maybe he’s aspired to migrate in a high-market city and finally contend for a championship — never been given another opportunity at winning a title since the disappointing loss against the Lakers in the NBA Finals three years ago.

But soon enough, in this most diverse, infatuated region of purple and gold, word surfaced that Howard wants to play in Los Angeles. As of late, expressing interest in two L.A. basketball franchises, he’s not singing gospel music but warbling the lyrics from Randy Newton’s “I Love L.A.”

He’s a natural-born player, a gifted 6-foot-11 giant built with physique and size, the big man who can earn a star with his name on it at the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd. He is the missing piece for the Lakers, the tallest man who has the body of a superhero and enough heart, and now they should pursue a trade for Howard with all knowledge that L.A. is his preferred destination.

If the Lakers acquire the tallest man, they undeniably become the championship favorites and position themselves for a massive dynasty. The road will get harder for every team, and the Lakers might be viewed as an unstoppable team in contention for the title with reinforcements from one of the league’s biggest stars.

He is known as the Kryptonite center, a man striving to be the best player in the middle, clogging the inside, stopping dribble penetration and protecting the paint, the kind of style Lakers head coach Mike Brown reiterate to his players so often. The idea of this trade, the idea of this move is to SUPERSIZE the Lakers, having already won 10 championships under the Buss regime, and it’s only smart if the Buss family lure Howard to play for purple and gold.

They love him, he loves them deep down inside – he’s just ashamed to say it and actually is focused on playing for the Magic, until his current team decide to deal him. It might not be anytime soon that Orlando trades him in exchange for veteran players, seeking to build around Howard and doing everything they can to keep him. His presence is a boon for spectators, and the Magic realize that he’s a ticket-seller, enticing fans to turn out in a large capacity at Amway Center.

For now, he is using his comical nature to downplay the discussion regarding any trade speculations, mocking the media and bringing laughter to press conferences on most nights. After this season, Smith and the Magic know they will lose Howard during free-agency in which he will test the market, no doubt, and could sign for millions in another city, another market, another organization, all for a compelling package.

The Lakers, a team in need of a taller and more physical superstar, can send Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to Orlando in exchange for Howard, a 6-foot-11, 265 pound big fella with one thing on his mind: a championship. Or he can even end up with the Clippers, reportedly adding the Lakers’ in-town rivals to the list. Either way, that is, he is aiming to embark on a new path in Los Angeles.

He wants to play in Los Angeles, yes. He wants to leave Disney World and the humidity for Disneyland and the warm and breezy climate in Southern California, yes.
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Written by Jonathan Mathis, Columnist (Archive/RSS)

An aspiring sports journalist, a sports columnist for three sports sites. Sports Judge is all sports. Follow @Jon9685

An aspiring sports journalist, a sports columnist for FootBasket, Gridiron Grit, Hardcourt Mayhem, and more. Sports Judge is all sports.

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Mark Jackson’s Tunnel Vision

by Chris Ross on January 14, 2012

It doesn’t surprise me that Mark Jackson employed his hack-a-Howard last night. It didn’t surprise me when he did it on Christmas Day to Deandre Jordan and the LA Clippers. Mark Jackson was always a lobbyist for teams taking advantage of the rules as best they could when he called games for ESPN. As disgusting as flopping, intentional fouling and guys jumping into defenders for free throws is to many of us, Mark Jackson was always applauding from his court side seat. Thank goodness Jeff Van Gundy was there to put him in his place.

It’s just too bad for Mark Jackson that Jeff Van Gundy isn’t on his coaching staff in Golden State.

Since last night’s game, where Dwight Howard attempted an NBA record 39 free throw attempts, Jackson’s hack-a-Howard strategy has been debated fiercely. Whether from a strategic stand point the choice to foul Howard throughout the game was right or wrong, Jackson’s implementation of this tactic does not bode well for his long-term future.

I think we can safely assume that Mark Jackson aspires to be an all-time coaching great. When all is said and done, he will want to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and Pat Riley.

It won’t happen if he continues to think like 15-year-old – unable to look farther in the future than Friday night. As a first year head coach on a team that lacks basic defensive principles, Mark Jackson should be laying a solid foundation for years to come. Instead, all he seems to care about is a meaningless January win on a team that is bound to be golfing come playoff time.

Mark Jackson clearly cannot comprehend the idea of short-term pain for long-term gain. Too bad that his attempt to prove himself as an outside-the-box thinking NBA coach will cause him not only short-term pain but long-term pain as well.

By putting his excessive hack-a-poor free throw shooter strategy into practice from day one, Mark Jackson has told his team they can’t play defence and he isn’t even going to bother trying. It isn’t possible for Jackson’s players to ever learn to trust him if he won’t put any faith into them. It’s not a good sign for the Warriors franchise that they have a coach who is so short-sighted.

His comments following yesterday’s game did nothing except reinforce his narrow-minded philosophy. He said “I can understand people thinking, ‘Why?’ But don’t get caught up in the free throws. Think about the times we didn’t foul him. It was dunks, hooks, plays at the rim. He’s a great player and a bad free-throw shooter. We were giving ourselves the best possible chance by messing up their rhythm.”

Let’s go with Mark and believe that those 39 free throw attempts did in fact give his team the best chance to win. So what? Teaching your guys how to intentionally foul a far superior individual isn’t doing anything to benefit the long-term future of your franchise and you personally as a coach. I don’t care that Kwame Brown was injured and they had no true center to guard Dwight Howard. It’s not about that.

Give a man a fish he’ll eat for a day but teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime. Sadly, Mark Jackson’s men didn’t even get to eat for a day.

Mark Jackson shouldn’t be looking for a few cheap wins here and there. Hack-a-Howard won’t help instil a gritty, hard-nosed, defensive culture in his team that was absent in Don Nelson’s run and gun, high-octane offensive system.

The Warriors may lack the personnel to be a great defensive team but it doesn’t mean they can’t try. Mark Jackson should look at the way Toronto Raptor’s first year coach Dwane Casey has implemented a refreshing brand of hustle into a team that was the NBA’s worst defence last season. Despite the lockout and a starting line-up that still features Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon, Casey has transformed a previously inept Raptor defence into respectability. Casey talked before the season of bringing a new brand of basketball to the city of Toronto and he has done that.

Unlike Dwane Casey and contrary to what Mark Jackson might believe, he hasn’t walked the walked.

Last night, unbeknownst to Jackson, he waved the white flag and surrendered to the Orlando Magic. He thought he was fighting for his team but really he was telling them that he shouldn’t be the general leading them into battle. Some players would jump in front of a bullet for their coach. There’s probably a few Warrior’s right now who would push Mark Jackson into the line of fire.

It may be too early to write Mark Jackson off as a legitimate NBA coach but the alarm bells are ringing. If he doesn’t change his ways and continues looking only in the short-term, he won’t have to worry much about the long-term state of the Warriors.

No problem though, Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen will welcome him back with open arms.
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Written by Chris Ross, Columnist (Archive/RSS)

20 yr old UBC Student. Live and breathe sports. My writing is edgy. Not the typical stuff you find. Hit up my blog – Painting the Black – you won’t regret it. Follow @paintstheblack

20 yr old UBC Student. Live and breathe sports. My writing is edgy. Not the typical stuff you find. Hit up my blog – Painting the Black – you won’t regret it.

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Where Should Dwight Howard Go?

by FeedCrossing on January 11, 2012

 http://www.businessinsider.com/image/4cf7209eccd1d56a3c090000/dwight-howard.jpg

Dwight Howard has accomplished a lot in his short career. He is a five-time All-Star, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, the starting center on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, and has averaged a double-double in each of his first seven seasons. Even with all of his personal success one accomplishment still eludes him- winning an NBA Championship.

It is the same accomplishment that eludes players such as Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James, but all of those players have moved to teams they feel gives them a better chance at winning. The question then becomes what team gives Howard the best chance to win?

While I remain against the creation of the “super teams” cropping up around the league I can’t ignore the fact that Howard’s chances of winning in Orlando are fading fast and he knows it. He is still averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds per game this year, but his heart just hasn’t seemed to be in Orlando for quite some time now.

There are several teams interested in his services like New York, Brooklyn, and the Lakers, but I think his best option is in Chicago.

The Knicks are already forward and center dominant so adding anything other than a guard doesn’t make sense for them. Brooklyn has a good guard in Williams, but he wants out as well so I don’t see Howard as a good fit there. The Lakers would work if the Paul trade had gone through because they would have needed a young athletic big man, but now they still have Bynum and Gasol so, like New York, I think a guard would be better suited for the Lakers.

If Howard really wants out, and wants to win now Chicago is the right destination for him. They are a team on the up and up which is something you cannot say about the Magic. That being said, my number one reason why Howard would find the most success in Chicago is last years’ MVP Derrick Rose.

The tandem of Rose and Howard would be the perfect marriage because they play on each other’s strengths marvelously. Rose dishing and shooting with Dwight cleaning up the boards with his emphatic finishes would be a treat to see. Like I stated earlier,

It could be the end for Dwight Howard in Orlando.

creating a team where all the stars are forwards makes no sense to me, but when you combine the league’s best young center and best point guard period you get the versatility a winning team needs.

Not to mention some of the pieces already in place in Chicago like Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng who make very formidable three and four options to say the least. Most importantly, in my opinion, is the team’s recent addition of Rip Hamilton, who has won a championship, and is a proven leader on and off the court.

Though Howard remains in Orlando, and like the professional he is remains playing hard, it is unlikely that he will remain there once the March trade deadline rolls around. The only question left is where he will end up.

Written by Robert White via FeedCrossing
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Written by FeedCrossing, Content News Source (Archive/RSS)

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Dwight Howard is a Jerk for Trade Demand from the Orlando Magic? – NBA Basketball – JRSportBrief

by JRSportBrief on December 15, 2011

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Dwight Howard is catching a lot of flack for demanding a trade from the Orlando Magic! Is the criticism fair?

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JRSportBrief (Archive/Feed)

JRSportBrief covers the latest sports news, game highlights, and athletes of professional sports. JR gives his opinions on all sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Boxing, MMA and all the major leagues. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, the MLB World Series, or the NFL Superbowl, JRʼs got his own opinions and he wants to hear yours! New Episodes all week long.. Follow @JrSportBrief

JRSportBrief covers the latest sports news, game highlights, and athletes of professional sports. JR gives his opinions on all sports: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Boxing, MMA and all the major leagues. Whether it’s the NBA Finals, the MLB World Series, or the NFL Superbowl, JRʼs got his own opinions and he wants to hear yours! New Episodes all week long.

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Lakers Send Odom To Mavs; Begin Pursuit for Dwight Howard

by Josh Dhani on December 11, 2011

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Lamar Odom has done a lot for the Los Angeles Lakers franchise and has been the key player off the bench for the past seven years, as he helped Los Angeles to several titles; including just winning the Sixth Man of the Year award last season. However, after being almost traded a couple of days ago, Odom requested for a trade. With that, the Los Angeles Lakers sent him to the Dallas Mavericks with a $8.9 million trade exception. Los Angeles will get a first-round draft pick along with other possible draft picks.

A deal was agreed several nights ago that would have sent Odom to the Hornets, Pau Gasol to the Rockets, and Chris Paul to LA. However, it was later dead after David Stern blocked it. Odom expressed his feelings on Twitter later and then showed up 90 minutes late to practice the following day on training camp. Odom said he didn’t want to play in a place he was not wanted, and now he is in Dallas.

“Right now, for me, having Odom, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, we may have the best forward trio in this league right now. And that’s exciting,” Mavs’ head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Lamar Odom is a guy we have great respect for as a person and as an all-around player in this league. We feel he’s going to add so many different dimensions for us — length, playmaking, scoring, experience, championship experience.”

With this, now, the Lakers save about $18 million in salary and luxury tax penalties. With this, Los Angeles is now in the pursuit for the Dwight Howard sweepstakes after the star center requested a trade today. Howard’s wish list includes the Lakers, along with the Mavericks and Nets. The Chicago Bulls have also reportedly entered into this.

The Nets are prepared to offer several draft picks along with Brook Lopez, while also absorbing Hedo Turkoglu’s large contract. As for Los Angeles, they look to offer Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum along with possibly several other pieces maybe from a third team or so. We’ll see what happens, but as far as I’m concerned, I think this situation will end up with Howard as a Laker.

Unlike Odom, though, Gasol is not as personal with this situation, saying he thinks it’s a business move and that people have to move on.

“I don’t think this is personal at all,” Gasol said. “This is a business move, I think. The franchise is looking to do its best for the best interest of the franchise and the team. … I’ll just have to be professional. My wish is to stay here. I love being part of this team, this franchise, this city, their fans, everybody. So it’s been during this last couple of days to have this uncertainty and insecurity. And probably, it’s not over yet.

“I’m just going to be as professional as I can be and do my job and also just do what I love and play basketball and play with a team I like to play with.”

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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Nets in Middle of Dwight Howard Saga

by Josh Dhani on December 10, 2011

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Less than a week after Nets GM Billy King said that there won’t be a circus atmosphere around Nets’ camp regarding trades like there was last year following the whole Carmelo Anthony debacle, the New Jersey team once again finds itself the primary focus of a juggling act. Earlier this week, there were initial reports of the Nets offering Brook Lopez and 2 first-round picks for Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu. From that offer, things built steam.

Well on Thursday, things blew seemingly out of control. According to ESPN and other sources, Howard had a newfound interest in the Nets, and was going to request a trade. Howard had never outwardly expressed interest in New Jersey, but it was well documented that the Nets wanted him and that Howard wanted to play with Deron Williams. So of course, it came as rather curious when this information came to light. As a result, sources wanted to find out why Howard came to that decision, and rumors of tampering began to grow.

These rumors claimed Howard met with Nets brass on Thursday night in Miami unbeknownst to Orlando Magic front office personnel. That triggered a statement on Friday morning that Orlando might file tampering charges. Later, Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith denied those reports. Howard denied ever meeting with the Nets, and the Nets deny meeting with Howard.

So what exactly is going on? Well the truth may never be known, but for a short period of time yesterday, I am sure Nets fans everywhere were worried that not only would their team lose out on acquiring Howard, but fines could be levied, and draft pciks could have been lost. Such a consequence would have set the Nets back anywhere from 3-5 years, and also Deron Williams would surely have walked. All of this became a moot point however, when on Friday night Howard’s agent said that he and Howard had been granted permission to explore potential trade offers, including from the Nets.

Where does this leave things? I don’t know. I am just as confused about it as the next guy. Every minute, different rumors come out and different things are said. And that is exactly why this is a circus atmosphere all over again for the Nets. Instead of having a normal training camp, the coaching staff is having to field questions about the Howard situation.

The Nets, meanwhile, have tried taking some of the attention off of the Howard situation by extending a qualifying offer to free agent big man Nene. It is an offer reported at 4 years, $60 million. They also signed their 2011 draft picks, first-rounder MarShon Brooks, and second rounder Jordan Williams.

It will be interesting to see where things go from here, and what twists and turns will come along the way. But for now, Howard is a member of the Orlando Magic, and both the Nets and Magic are going about business as usual.

Josh has been writing since January 2009 and founded FootBasket in April 2009. He also owns the websites, Hardcourt Mayhem and Gridiron Mayhem. For a full bio, check out JoshDhani.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshDhani

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