Magic make it personal

[VF21]

Magic make it personal by beating, embarrassing Howard in upset win

LOS ANGELES -- One by one, the Orlando Magic walked over to the Lakers bench, and embraced the amiable big man who left them in August. One by one, they chatted with him and laughed with him and showed how much they missed him. And then, one by one, they said goodbye and good luck to their old friend Earl Clark.

The other amiable big man who went from Orlando to Los Angeles three months ago was already gone, down the tunnel and into the locker room, without so much as a handshake. Dwight Howard fled the court Sunday night, upstaged by the organization he paralyzed and the team he abandoned, in a game that will sting far more than the other eight the Lakers have already lost. The final score, 113-103, might as well hang on the Magic marquee all season.

In the age of the super team, the awkward reunion that follows the nasty break-up has become an annual tradition. It is a date to circle on the schedule, when the superstar who jilted a franchise is forced to confront those he left behind. Like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh, Howard had many reasons to move to a mega market, but in public he only acknowledged one. He said his new club gave him a chance to win a title, implying that his old one did not, an indictment of players who used to be pals. Howard was probably correct, of course, but he still had to face them.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz2E3B5xFJJ

[kingsnation]

Great article.

I feel for the Orlando franchise. Just the latest in teams ruined by sellout-spoiled athletes.

[Trueblood]

Great article.

I feel for the Orlando franchise. Just the latest in teams ruined by sellout-spoiled athletes.

I wouldn't say they're necessarily ruined though. Like Denver, they may wind up better in the long run without the drama that a superstar brings. The Nuggets and Magic play as a team instead of relying on a superstar to carry them and that makes for a good foundation and culture that they can both build on.

[mac]

I wouldn't say they're necessarily ruined though. Like Denver, they may wind up better in the long run without the drama that a superstar brings. The Nuggets and Magic play as a team instead of relying on a superstar to carry them and that makes for a good foundation and culture that they can both build on.

What it does do is unite the team because they want to prove that they don't need a superstar to win, and the only way they can be successful without a star is to play as a team. Still, close to zero teams have won championships without superstars (with the Pistons perhaps being the only exception - and they had like 4 all stars or something). Those teams would flourish if they get a superstar PG/ playmaker - one who doesn't dominate the ball scoring wise but makes their offense flow even better.