Motiejunas: Dwight Howard and James Harden eat separately from rest of Rockets

Bull**** revisionist history. Yeah, lots of players wanted to play their hearts out for Kobe, yeah, he really inspired them.... you know, Dirk really inspired those 2006 Mavericks to blow a 2-0 lead against the Magic and take a 67-win team to lose in the first round to the Warriors.

Frankly, I'm sick and tired of these revisionist ****ing nonsense commentaries. Dwight Howard led a team to the Finals as the only superstar on that team... that's more than Karl Malone and Charles Barkley ever did, who each had a superstar to help them get there. And more than Steve Nash ever did, and no one questions that guy's leadership skills.

Here's the plain ****ing truth- **** happens. You get the right group of guys under the right conditions, with a pinch of luck, and you can win it all. You match up the 2009 Magic with, say, the 2011 Mavericks, or the 2003 Spurs, and there's a good chance the Magic win- and vice versa. Howard and Harden have both been to the Finals, and Ariza's won it all. You get the best "pieces" you can get, make a great run, and there's that.

Chris Bosh is a wuss. He had his 2 ships and was content at that. If you're a player, and you truly care about winning (75+% are more concerned about the money and the p***y they can get as Bball players, let's face it), you go where you think you have the best chance of winning. In this order: Spurs, Cavs, Thunder, Clippers, Rockets, Blazers (only b/c believe it or not, not totally sold on LMA dominating for an entire playoff run), and Bulls. Maybe if Rose plays great and injury-free, you put them in front of the Rockets.

Dirk was a weak wuss. He wins a ship, and he's magically transformed into a leader. Kobe was a selfish ****. He wins a ship on his own (sans Shaq), and he's magically transformed into a leader. Lebron was a lethargic (in key moments) loser. He wins a ship... you get the point.

Howard and Harden are, apparently, hapless, hated headcases. They win a ship, and they will magically be transformed into loveable leaders.

And those of us that know, that get the hypocrisy, will smirk and shake our heads.

Not to be narcissistic and comment on my own post, but I've learned first-hand the hypocrisy of the media, celebrities, etc. I once paid for a house concert for the lead singer of an 80s group who had a bit of chart success. Now, this person had said over and over again about how much he admired Buddy Holly. Dozens of times. And I live in Lubbock, so I thought, well, I'll hold the private concert at a hall next to the Buddy Holly museum. Said singer had not been to Lubbock since the 90s- museum was finished in 2001. So, I arranged for him to visit this before the show. He arrived in Lubbock a full 3 hours before the show. When I mentioned this to him, he said, "Nah, I'll pass" and spent the entire time surfing on the web and reading reviews on Amazon on his band's CDs. The media is similar- they're very full of **** most of the time. Because they know people will buy their nonsense.

Frankly, if Hakeem never won a ship, I wouldn't see him as any less. I'm only glad he won it so that the stupid media wouldn't have these "well, he's not as great as Jabbar or Shaq or ... b/c he didn't win it all." It's a criteria they frequently don't apply to baseball, and often don't apply to football. So, why basketball? I think it's because, deep down- and you'll think this theory is crazy- I think they try to pump up the hero/champion aspect to make a sport more appealing that just doesn't get the ratings of football and that is not America's Pastime. But, that's just MHO- could be wrong. What happens if Wesley Persons hit that 3 at the end of Game 5 in the WCSF? Phoenix advances in 1995. What happens if Starks hits the 3 at the end of Game 6 in the 94 Finals? In both cases, Hakeem is ringless. Makes him no less of a leader or great player.

But, because we have the media perpetuating this myth, and because many buy it, that's what we have to deal with. Are some players better in the clutch? Sure, I'd say that even without Pippen and Rodman, at some point Jordan would have won. But it's very reasonable to consider that, if plagued with weak supporting casts all his career, Jordan could conceivably be a 1-ring or 2-ring HOF player. And that if Nash stayed with Dallas, he could have had 3 rings by now. We'll never know.

 

Omfg it's a sin to not eat with teammates !¡!!!!

 

D-Mo needs to shut the effff up

 

Now the media needs to stfu. Dmo actually didnt say ****.

 

DMO needs to slow his role.

 

I think Morey has told Dmo he will be traded before the season beginning

 

This is a completely media-driven non-story and the most disappointing part is how the vast majority of posters here fell for it and are calling for D-Mo's head.

 

I love how everyone is bashing DMo but refusing to accept that maybe, just maybe that Howard and Harden are terrible leaders. I'm not going to pretend to be some dude who knows whats going on in locker rooms but we've been hearing stuff like this for awhile. Where there's smoke there's fire. Zach Lowe is a pretty credible source so I believe him when he downplays our leadership.

Look we knew Dwight is a terrible leader based on his Orlando and Lakers stints. I like him as a player but the dude is as beta as they come. Harden gets a pass since he's so young and the hope is he matures one day soon. It would be nice to see him show up in the postseason. If he could learn that whole, 'how to play defense' thing, that would be great as well.

 

Um most of us who have Instagram know that this is bull****. We all know this team had true bromance with one another last year...It was disgusting at some points. But I can go back to a lot of instagram pictures showing the Rockets players eating together. What an over blown story.

 

Trade is coming?

 

where there's smoke, there's fire. If this is how Dwight and Harden operate as leaders, then that is their right.

The Rockets organization paid these guys to be the faces of their franchise, and if that is the leadership that they feel will take them to the top, good for them.

Also, good luck getting your "role players" to run through a wall for you. cause if they are not intending to elevate their "lesser teammates," they had better elevate themselves.

 

Thank You

Rocket River

 

shhhh. you're ruining the illusion. you never pull the curtain back!

(and you never make 'em touch!)

 

This is straight BS. Howard is as social a player as there is. Wasn't that the knock on him? He is constantly joking around and having fun in the locker room and on road trips so he isn't serious about winning.

I guess we are to believe he only gets serious about eating.

 

Reason #54684546 showing McHale's incompetence.

 

The role players will run through a wall as long as they can see a big contract on the other side of the wall waiting for them.

You really think Lebron's talking will help Beasley to play better?

If you can not accept the fact that the media is trying everything to paint us as the villain of the NBA, you really should go and hug a wall now.

 

"Hi & bye. They even eat separately from the team. Usually in some fast food place."

when i read that, i am thinking this could easily be mistranslated from lithuanian (?) version of "harden and howard? yeah, we greet each other/say wsup. they eat different food than the rest of the team, usually fast food."

nbd!

 

He's trying to fill the role of our departed star, Chandler Parsons.

 

This guy like to talk a lot and dont even start on the team!.. needs to get traded!

 

And cue the Blazers fans jumping on the bandwagon- had to put those mofos in their place:

https://www.facebook.com/bleacherreport/posts/10152255667271006