Dwight Howard was suspended for one game for throwing a malicious elbow during a recent playoff basketball game. I had been watching commentary on said game on NBATV, when Chris Webber acted as though he were going out on a limb and challenging the officials and the NBA to force a suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct.
My whole take on Webber’s “going out on a limb” was that he was being a messenger FOR the NBA, as in, the NBA wanted him suspended, and Webber was putting that thought out there before it happened. Doesn’t really matter if Howard deserved it, he got it, so be it.
Since his rookie year, I’ve seen Howard as a dominant, yet dirty player. He’s got everything he needs to be Hakeem Olajuwon, but plays more like Karl Malone to me.
You see, there are tough players and dirty players. You could be both, or just one. Dwight strikes me as a dirty player taking advantage of his God-given body/athletic abilities. Karl Malone was a tough player and a dirty player. Ewing, Oakley and Mace were tough players, they were going to hack you if you went to the basket on them (less so for Ewing as he was a legit shot blocker). The whole, “no easy layups,” mentality. Starks was more dirty than our front line though, IMO. I’ve seen Karl Malone knock people’s teeth out with his elbows. Oakley just made you think he was going to knock your teeth out with his demeanor.
And it is not just the big men. Bowen is a prime example of a dirty player who jumps under you so that your jump shot is thrown off for the rest of the game. Isiah used to step on people’s feet to get an advantage. Isiah was both tough and dirty. Stockton was absolutely a dirty player, but he was also tough. Laimbeer was a chronic jersey-grabber, he was more dirty than tough IMO.
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truth be told many so called elite defenders do cross the line and often get away with it eg…Jordan (saw it up fron and close on a young H20 when he was wearing mike out straight up), Rodman, Isiah(as you mentioned)jerry sloan( like his mentee Stockon) Pete Meyers(ok not elite) Derek harper would hand check into the spots where he wanted you.
I have not paid much attentio to Howard but I see your point
charles barkley is a poor man’s richard dawson.