YouTube download / Video by rsol / Dwight Howard selected No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic as an 18-year-old out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy of Atlanta, Ga.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hey Orlando Magic fans, you can rejoice: Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets are a bust in the NBA playoffs.
Evan Donald Sterling, who has been banned from the NBA for life, will continue to be talked about as the playoffs continue with the Los Angeles Clippers' thrilling Game 7 home win Saturday night over the Golden State Warriors, 126-121. But Howard and the Rockets, the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 54-28 regular season record, were bounced out of the first round in just six games by the Portland Trailblazers, 99-98, Friday night.
Of course, rthe Rockets were middle of the road with the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and LA Clippers, seeded ahead of them in that order any way.
Still, for the second year in a row, Howard didn't get his team past the first round. Howard and his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, didn't make it out of the first round a year ago after Kobe Bryant went down with his achilles heel injury.
Howard spurned the Lakers for the Rockets, even losing out on a bigger payday in the long run, in part because he didn't like the head coach, Mike D'Antoni.
And isn't it funny how those things work themselves out, the ironies that is? Perhaps had Howard just kept his mouth shut as Kobe suggested and bided his time, things might have turned out differently.
So now Howard loses out again on another post-season run and he's lighter in the wallet, despite his 26 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.83 blocks in the six-game battle with the Trailblazers.
So see, Magic fans, you get the last laugh on Dwight Howard, after all.