Dwight Howard (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA rumors lit up with a bold claim from NBA analyst Chris Sheridan claiming that Dwight Howard was unhappy in Houston.
Howard has issued his rebuttal to this claim, talking to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
"I haven't said anything to anybody about anything," Howard said. "People make up lies and rumors. That's never been my focus. I'm trying to get these guys to play better and get myself to play better. People are going to say what they got to say to get a story out. People are always going to come up with some rumor and lies. That's what it is. I can't focus on that. And I don't want my teammates to focus on that."
His statement fell short of directly accusing Chris Sheridan of a liar, but he was definitely in that direction. Sheridan himself already reacted to this rebuttal in his own site, Sheridan Hoops. Read his direct retort below:
"No. 1: There are no lies in my story. I am very well-sourced around the league, and people tell me things that they would not tell other journalists. The sources for this story are exceptionally plugged-in to what is going on with the Rockets.
No. 2: This is not a rumor. There is a difference between a rumor and a news report. This is the latter, not the former.
Again, I stand by it 100 percent."
The beleaguered center just turned 30, although he has had a lot of NBA mileage on his broad shoulders. When compared to how dominant he was the Defensive Player of the Year, the numbers don't compare.
However, the issue Sheridan points out is that the Rockets themselves seem to have no faith in their star player. He's not getting touches and there are no plays called out for him. It seems logical that he would be unhappy.
With Sheridan's report also including a possible trade to Miami, an actual trade seems to be the only way to vindicate his report, just like when he was the first to claim that LeBron James was returning to Cleveland in the summer of 2014. If LeBron did not push through, Sheridan's credibility would have taken a hit.
