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Home > Jeff Schultz > Archives > 2008 > August > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMagic moment for Howard
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Beijing — Sometimes you can be 22 years old and feel like a little kid. Somebody drapes a gold medal around your neck and you’re not quite sure what to do first. So you look at it. Then you kiss it. Then you bite it. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?
“I didn’t want to mess it up too much,” Dwight Howard said. “I just wanted to make sure it was real.”
He stood with a gold medal around his neck, thinking back 16 years. A Wheaties box with the original Dream Team on the cover was in his room. He remembers watching the Olympics at the age of six, and wanting to be a sprinter (genetics took care of that one). He remembers Atlanta in 1996, when his sister beat him to the Games — she danced in the Opening Ceremonies.
Dwight Howard had his turn in Beijing. No matter what happens the rest of his career, he can say he started at center for an Olympic gold medal-winning basketball team.
With any luck, he will be able to say it happened twice. Or three times. Or more.
“I’ve committed to this team until I can’t walk no more,” Howard said.
The U.S. men’s basketball team had just beaten Spain, 118-107, in the gold medal game on the final day of the Olympics. Howard, at 22, was the youngest member of the team. This surpassed anything he experienced as a star at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy or in the NBA with the Orlando Magic.
“I’m going to wear this for a week. Maybe two weeks. Maybe the whole year. Actually, I’m not taking it off,” said Howard, who also had an American flag draped around his neck. “I’m just gonna keep wearing it, until we have to play a game next season. In fact, I might keep it on under my jersey. I want to have it with me every day to know what it feels like to be a champion.”
Several rows up from the floor in section 103 of the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium, Sheryl Howard waited for her son to return from the locker room for the medal ceremony. She wore a No. 11 USA jersey with “Howard” on the back. She clutched three flags: one large, two small. Her husband, Dwight Sr., had walked down the aisle to get in a better position to take pictures of Dwight II on the podium
“This is the ultimate,” she said. “It’s for the world, so this has to be the ultimate goal. His goal is to win a championship for [an NBA] team. But to play for the world and win a gold, it’s unbelievable.”
She remembered getting a phone call when Dwight was selected for the Olympic team. “He said it was a blessing to make the team and to play for the USA,” she said. “Those were his exact words.”
Howard was limited to eight points and five rebounds in 17 minutes in the final. The U.S. was drawn into a running game by Spain, prompting coach Mike Krzyzewski to go with a smaller, quicker lineup. But the Americans had a different leader almost every game. They had six different leading scorers (including a tie once between Kobe Bryant and Chris Bosh) in eight games. Dwayne Wade led the U.S. with 27 points in the finale.
Howard’s turn came in the final preliminary round game against Germany, when he poured in 22 points and 10 rebounds. A theme coming out this tournament was how a group of 12 NBA superstars managed to put egos aside for a common goal, which wasn’t the case in 2004 in Athens. USA basketball named a national select team three years ago, and picked the Olympians from that group. The camps the team held over those three years clearly paid off.
Asked if this will change the image of NBA players, Howard said, “I hope so. Everybody saw how we can come together.”
He soaked it in all week. He visited the athletes village, even though the team stayed in a five-star hotel. He also met former Olympic gymnast Dominic Dawes, his lifelong crush. Mother and son have slightly different versions of the meeting.
Dwight: “That was fun.”
Mom: “I heard he met her and fell to the floor.”
Either way, dreams achieved.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Beijing Olympics
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By Peter
August 24, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
I know that you didn’t mean it as a cut but a number of US Olympians stayed in Hotels. So did athletes from other countries. The way you put it means that someone is bound to come and start calling them “over paid prima donnas” and then the racial thing will flare up (as it does on every AJC blog)
The fact that these guys gave up two summers to play for their country and end up winning the Gold will be totally forgotten.
Personally I’m very proud of Dwight and the entire Olympic squad, not just the basketball players. One of my favorite Olympic Games.
By Con Vert
August 24, 2008 8:30 PM | Link to this
I am happy for Howard and all of the members of the Olympic team. I have not been a fan of the NBA game over the last ten years or so as the game has been dominated by individual play over team play. I will take the college game over the pro game any day.
So I was skeptical that this group of pros would in fact make the sacrifices necessary to win a gold medal. I am now a convert. This group made great sacrifices in terms of time and individual glory for their team and their country. Not only did they represent their country well on the court but off the court as well. Seeing the players attend other events was inspiring.
Kudos to all of the players, Colangelo, and K for accomplishing what they set out to achieve. Thanks for doing it in a way that makes us all proud to be Americans and proud to be basketball fans.
By JSS
August 24, 2008 8:45 PM | Link to this
Another backhanded compliment for the person who did the least work of all of the columnists in China for the Games… Dude, a columnist from Belarus was more informative than you!!!
By Howard Hunter
August 24, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this
Not a comment on this story but on your list of Olympians with Georgia ties. Please add Laura Kent Kraut who was a member of the Equestrian Show Jumping Team that won the Gold Medal. Laura grew up in metro Atlanta and was a well known local rider. Her story is a great one of perseverance and talent.
Regards, Howard Hunter
By HomeDawg
August 25, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
One of the lasting memories of the Olympics is seeing the b’ball team genuinely excited to win the gold. I’m by no means an NBA fan, but those guys shed egos and played a team sport like it meant something to play as a team. Something like a championship.
By bali smith
August 25, 2008 6:28 PM | Link to this
Geez jeff i think maybe you should stay in china . seems the peole in atlanta really love you. I thought it was a good story about ayoung man playing in his first Olympics. We all know pro basketball players stay in nice hotels. What is the big deal.Howard seemed like a really happy young man who was turned on by the olympic experience, welcome home jeff
By Chuck
August 28, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
Jeff—-I think it’s about time you got back to this country and start writing about something relevant and will be of interest to readers. Specifically, college football and get started back on your Weekend Predictions. I’ve had just about enough of the silly sports and communists.