Howard was selected to the All-Star Game six times when he started his career with Orlando Magic. He was selected as the defensive player of the year three times and led Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009, but failed to win the championship. It was not until his 16 season with the Los Angeles Lakers that he accepted a small role and won the championship.
"Winning the championship is everything," Howard said. "It made me realize that I can have the best data in the world, but it doesn't mean anything. Because here, I won the championship, some games I didn't score, and some games I didn't play at all. What really matters is winning the trophy. This is my message to everyone on the team. Are you willing to give up winning the trophy? "
From this perspective, what stopped Howard? He used to be the most dominant center in the NBA, and he led Magic to become a champion contender.
"For me, what hindered me in the past was my ego and my injury," he opened his heart. "these are the two main components of the team, and players can't give full play to their potential. Therefore, if you want to win the game, you must give up yourself. Put aside our egos and do everything for us. The other part is to stay healthy. We must try our best to make appropriate adjustments, get proper rest, don't overdo it, and trust each other. "
As a young man entering the league for the first time, the focus of attention may be personal honor. Scoring champion, MVP and other awards, but in the final analysis, it is all about winning the championship. This is the experience that Howard learned over time. If he had known earlier, maybe he would have won the championship earlier.
He said: "What I want to say is that there is a problem in the whole NBA, that is, everyone wants to be that person, that person and do everything." "Why don't you want to be a person to enter the alliance? Everyone wants to stay ahead of the competition. I think the winning team, why they just won the championship. Nothing else matters. "
In Philadelphia, he will play the same role as the Lakers and become a substitute player. He is no longer the "guy" in the magic period. The guy from the 76ers is joel embiid. He understood this and accepted it.