It seems everyone has an opinion on Dwight Howard these days. After the big man decided to take his talents down to Houston and run away from the Los Angeles Lakers, many NBA experts are weighing in on the decision. Shaquille O'Neal has never held his tongue when it comes to the other "Superman" and now is no different. O'Neal was certainly not shocked by Howard's jump, believing he is running from pressure.
While speaking at the Coke Zero 400, O'Neal told reporters that he is not impressed with Howard, believing the move was just an escape from the pressure that comes with playing in Los Angeles. "Not everyone can handle being under the bright lights," O'Neal said, commenting that Howard run away to the "little town" of Houston.
"It was expected," O Neal said. "We've all been in L.A., and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. Everybody wants to do it, but when you get there, there are certain pressures."
Howard signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Rockets. O'Neal was not shocked, knowing that once Howard began to interview with other teams, there was no way he was going to be returning to the Lakers.
"Think about it--$30 million, legacy. If I like where I'm at, I'm not having a conversation with anybody else. I'm going to let teams do what they need to do. I'm going to have the other teams trade people in hopes of getting me. Once he said he was going to meet with other teams I knew he was gone," O'Neal said.
After O'Neal expressed his opinions on the Howard move, he stopped by TNT's Inside the NBA to discuss the future of the center in the NBA. Never a Howard fan, O'Neal named Brook Lopez and Andrew Bynum as the two best big men in the league. O'Neal noted how he believes those two players represent the position the way it is supposed to be. He dislikes the new trend where centers are more of a pick-and-roll type of player.
Charles Barkley strongly disagreed, naming Howard the best center and telling O'Neal to get over his Superman hatred. Once again, TNT proves that the best signing ever in the NBA was putting O'Neal and Barkley on a television show together.
