If this gets moved to the D&D so be it, for information purposes I've been banned from there. I'm only stating that because I'm getting into religion specifically. Dwight Howard acts like a spoiled immature brat. Just let me state i've been immature in my life so this really isn't judgement just observation. he is an obscenely blessed athlete as far as physical attributes but I'm pretty sure you don't get a body like that just from genetics. so in that sense he isn't spoiled or immature. he is immature however in the sense that he doesn't react to adversity very well. he quite basically acts like a big kid. funny thing is chris webber was a bit of the same way. both were raised by preachers. both have remained out criminal mischief so maybe we overplay their faults. both are also blessed with above average athleticism even for professional athlete standards. both were also ridiculed for being immature, not willing to be leaders on their team, to be aloof with fans, almost to the point that they are tone deaf to the criticisms of them. both seem to act like in their minds they are the chosen ones. they act like they do not have to listen to coach's criticism adhere to teammate concerns or care what their fans think of them. now i know that they aren't the first athletes to behave in that manner but specifically in the case of dwight howard it seems to me that his religious upbringing plays a part in that. i have friends who believe that anything they do wrong is not wrong because they have this "i have god on my side" mentality. Christianity teaches that Jesus absolves you over your sins and died for you because we cannot meet God's standards to get into the kingdom of heaven. it seems more and more people are taking this to mean that they are never wrong because they have accepted christ. you see it in politics (not going into specifics because there is a forum for that) and you see in social settings more and more. one of my friends and i have had some issues in life and when he is railing on me about mine and i point out things he has done to get him off my back he goes to the i have god on my side card. its mind boggling and mind numbing but at the same time its increasing prevalent daily. i don't know if this is the case of dwight howard but his reported immaturity in the media seems to follow what i've seen socially.
Could be a contributing factor. You could also look at the fact that Dwight made the jump straight out of high school and the amount of recognition/adulation CWebb received as a college freshman. You look at someone from a religious background like David Robinson, I'm sure four years of college and the time he spent in the military made him a more grounded person. I wouldn't be opposed to the NBA raising the age limit to 21.
People keep talking about Dwight's body, as if it rivaled Mr Olympia's. He's just a 7 footer who works out, but happens to have over sized deltoids. That's it. He realized large deltoids made him look better and he could show off the muscles easily, so he focuses on training them intensely. And now he has back problems because of it.
I dont understand why throw your agenda in there along with a thread about Dwight's upbringing? Its not even that serious, let alone who really cares what his upbringing is? Honestly
what agenda hommie. i'm not anti religion, there was more i wanted to get into about the black church specifically and as an aside something on the raising of black males (aside from religion) there was this pretty good piece on this and kobe's upbringing and his attitude ironically that was posted here a few years ago, maybe around the time he was accused of rape.
Maybe, just maybe. And this could be a theory, I dont know if it can be proven..... But money and fame may be something he has? I've noticed a trend with people who have both. I hate to generalize, but sometimes it seems like those two combinations make some folks act a little funny. And Dwight has been in the spotlight since he was 18. So from his late teens, to now present adulthood, he's been rich and famous. Just a theory I'm throwing. Fame and fortune.
seriously what do you mean. the post isn't anti religion. people misuse the message of christianity but i don't really want to get into that because its more than that.
i think celebrities get a bad rap. i don't think nearly as many act like jerks as we think. also, i'm not talking about just how he behaves with fans, i'm talking about how he's handled his whole situation in LA and there were other rumblings about his maturity coming out of Orlando before he left. dwight howard gets called out for acting like a kid a lot. now, you could also turn that around and say religion has taught him not to take basketball seriously, however when you're making as much money as he is, its serious.
No, I don't think his religion. It seems to me his Christianity isn't as deep as he made it out to be when he was drafted. Maybe he does use a god on my side excuse (though I haven't heard him do it), but I don't think that sort of stuff drives behavior, it'd just provide a rationalization after the fact. He was more-or-less born this way.
Lately he's been toning it down, and it's awkward how he's forcing himself to not smile or be goofy all the time.
I didn't think I'd jump on this, but pgab's post just reminded me of something a few weeks ago. I'm at a clinic, and on this day students in training and volunteer doctors see patients for free. I overhear a younger woman (ok, she's black) in the waiting room talking to another man waiting there. They talk about going to church and use the phrase 'praise the lord' often just to give you an idea that they're both pretty religious I guess. She mentions all her health problems (some severe) and what she has to go through to treat them w/ public assistance. She mentions she sees a lawyer who helps her with the paper work and the process to get some these things taken care of. She then says something along the lines of "I couldn't keep track of what he was talking about and after awhile I didn't care. I don't need to know any of this. I told him I have god on my side and it will all work out." Using god as a pass to not follow up on some paperwork and procedure was pretty mind blowing. I have to admit I was stunned hearing that. That's like magic fairy level stuff. Anyways...I think DH was sincere, yet sheltered and naive about his beliefs going into the NBA. To be fair he was launched into it and I don't think he had someone mature to guide him. I don't chalk his immaturity up to religion but to the whole situation in general. He was a star every step of the way, including the NBA where he had immediate success. Only now is he facing pushback because he's not the center (haha get it n/m) of attention like in high school and Orlando.
The rest of this thread does not interest me in the slightest. Dwight Howard is just another in a long line of out-of-touch overpaid NBA stars. Don't care about him or his problems. However, in regards to the point above...man can I relate. Everytime one of my family members has some surgery or announces a new baby is born or whatever there is a chorus of "praise jesus!" and "God is looking out for you" and "God is great". Now that's fine (if a bit overwhelming and annoying as a series of freakin "reply-alls" on a huge email list), but I cannot help but think to myself..."thank the freekin doctor who removed your cancer, and the thousands of tireless folks like him that made the procedure possible through decades of thankless research." Furthermore, thank god for the problem in first place...it was "his plan" right? /soapbox
Based on his maturity level, you would think this guy has been coddled all of his life and has nothing more than a high school education...
