Bright Lights, Big City
Your first season was a bit overwhelming, even for you. Most everyone thought you’d fit right in with your big smile and dominant style of play, but it didn’t exactly go according to plan.
However, you’ve had a taste of it, you’ve likely grown thick skin because of it, and now it’s time to come back as a bigger star than ever and more powerful than ever–both on and off the court.
The sky isn’t even the limit here in Los Angeles–it’s light years past that–and I’m sure you’ve witnessed some of that.
In your first season, you weren’t even the biggest star on your team not to mention the whole city.
However, if you’ve learned anything about the Lakers’ tradition, once you do become “The Man” of the Lakers, you truly are a star among stars.
Magic Johnson took this level of stardom to another level back in the 80s, and now he’s one of the most beloved figures in all of Los Angeles from the sports world to the entertainment world and especially now in the business world. He’s dominating everything off the court, and bringing joy and happiness to the community in a multitude of ways.
Shaquille O’Neal was the next player to reach a similar amount of stardom, and he was the King of Los Angeles for a short period of time until he was eventually traded.
Now, it’s your current teammate Kobe Bryant who holds the throne and rules supreme over Los Angeles. However, he has one year left on his contract and probably won’t play past 2015. After that, the city is yours to take over. Maybe you think you don’t want that kind of pressure or level of stardom, but deep down, you do.
Kobe is as private as they come, and he’s managed to be as low key of a celebrity as possible given his immense following in L.A.
However, you’re built for this. Shoot, you were born for this. You’re a natural entertainer who’s extremely extroverted–a la Magic Johnson. You surely have goals and dreams outside of basketball as well, and there is no better platform than the Hollywood stage to launch such a career.
The Team
You may be looking at the roster and/or the coaching staff as the most important factor(s), and it is. We understand you want to be successful, as we want you (and the team) to be as well. Mike D’Antoni probably wasn’t the best fit for your game, but he did adjust his philosophy to try and utilize your strengths.
As for your teammates, they are old and were hampered by injuries all season; which is yet another concern. However, you and the Lakers managed to go 28-12 towards the end of a “nightmare” season; all while injuries were still occurring and a fluid rhythm never truly developed. Imagine the possibilities of a healthy team with a full training camp.
Sure the team needs to get younger, and you’re looking not at just next season but the future as well, but the Lakers have a track record of putting the absolute best talent on the floor and finding a way to win championships.
There’s a huge 2014 free agent class coming up, and you’d better believe that once the team has shifted to being built around you, Mitch Kupchak and the Buss family are going to bring in the best talent to complement yours. Mitch isn’t going to leave you hanging, and he’s going to make sure you’re put in a position to contend every single year; the Lakers have missed the playoffs just twice since Dr. Buss bought the team in 1980.
—- Check out this wallpaper of Dwight Howard, Laker big man and embracing the legacy! —-
The Close
The choice is yours, Dwight. Maybe you want all of the pressure, expectations, and fame, or, maybe you don’t. Maybe you don’t see it as being the best fit for you or maybe you don’t want to be a star on that kind of stage. But, we see it. We see you dominating for years to come; we see you winning us championships; and we see you becoming a megastar in the juggernaut of all markets.
We see the potential in you, and we want to see you fully reach it. We’re not just here to say it and demand it, but we’re here to help you reach it as well. We’re here to motivate you daily to make sure you meet all of your goals and ours. We’re here to keep you in line and make sure you’re at your absolute best, and we’re also here to listen to you vent when you’re simply not.
Most importantly, we’re here to see you develop into the Hall-of-Fame legend that we all know you can be; the one who will win multiple titles and one day be immortalized not only with the likes of Lakers centers such as George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal, but also amongst the greatest Lakers to ever put on a purple and gold jersey: Jerry West, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant.
We see it in you. Maybe you don’t see it right now, but if you re-sign with the Lakers, one day you will.