Getty Golden State Warriors president Bob Myers addresses reporters during a 2016 press conference.
Dating back to last season — when it became clear that the Golden State Warriors were actually good again — there has been a segment of the fandom that has felt the team could benefit from the presence of another rim-protecting big man.
Kevon Looney quieted some of that chatter with a playoff run that saw him follow a double-double average in the Western Conference Finals with an eye-popping net rating of 16.8 during the championship round. And former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman’s untapped potential all but demands that he get every opportunity to man the pivot.
Nevertheless, the thought remains that the Dubs could bolster their title defense by adding another large body with experience and defensive chops.
To that end, an eight-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer — who currently finds himself without a team — just said a mouthful about the prospect of filling Golden State’s open roster spot.
Dwight Howard Gets Amped Over Potential Warriors Partnership
Dwight Howard, who spent his 2021-22 campaign on a return engagement with the Los Angeles Lakers, appeared on the October 31 episode of Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay. During the interview, the former NFL star floated the Dubs as a potential landing spot for the soon-to-be 37-year-old.
And Howard could barely contain his excitement at the very prospect of making a move to the Bay Area.
“Oh man, that’s perfect,” he declared. “I’ve been a warrior my whole life… They need a big. I know they have Kevon Looney and I know they have the young boy Wiseman, but I’m Dwight Howard.”
That last bit was said emphatically by Howard, but that doesn’t mean he’s eyeing some kind of late-career return to superstardom. Rather, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year sees ways that he can help the team, from the “young boy” on up to the core players.
“Wiseman can learn so much from me because he’s headed in that direction of being a great big man. So, I feel like… even in that situation playing with all shooters like that, Steph — the way he [would] get open with me setting screens — he’s gonna get more wide open,” Howard said. “Draymond, in the pick and roll, me and him. Me being able to teach Wiseman how to play defense, how to block shots. I see him as a person that’s similar to David Robinson and his size and athleticism. There’s a lot of things that I could really teach him.”
Howard appeared in 60 games for the Lakers last season, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per outing.
Dwight Really Wants to Experience a Championship Parade
Howard isn’t in a place where he has to ring chase to secure his legacy. His HOF candidacy isn’t in question and he already got his ring with the Lake Show in 2020. That said, he missed out on the big title celebration as the world was still in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time.
So, it should come as no surprise that the idea of a party on Market Street is very appealing to him.
“I would love to play season 19 and go out on top… I would definitely love to do that. That would be amazing to get a parade like I deserve. I ain’t never had no parade in the NBA. Even after we won the championship…”