One of the fastest rising shows in popularity over the last couple of years has been “The Masked Singer” on FOX. The show sees celebrities from all walks of life don elaborate costumes and compete in a singing competition. Much of the appeal comes from the reveal of who the celebrity under the costume is once they have been eliminated and the Los Angeles Lakers can now say they have had a contestant.
The newest season has just kicked off and the first elimination came in the form of The Octopus, who performed “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard. Once the mask was removed, it was revealed to be none other than Lakers center Dwight Howard:
Howard has always been one to do things his own way and appearing on a singing competition undoubtedly falls under that tree. Following the elimination, Howard spoke with Avery Thompson of Hollywood Life to explain why he made the decision:
Well, I like to step outside the box. I like to try things. I have an open mind, and this is something that would really be out of the norm for myself. I just wanted to try it to see what I could do. I feel like I’ve been singing my whole life. I was in the choir growing up. I was in a choir in high school. I love music, so why not just try to do something with singing? It actually gave me more confidence and more ideas and just gave me more energy, so I’m glad I did it.
Howard also went into detail as to why he chose The Octopus costume as opposed to any others available to him:
I feel like Octopus chose me. I felt like we kind of chose each other. I felt like we needed each other. I felt like the octopus has been misunderstood, and he needed somebody with some charisma and some flair and glare to bring out the mysterious side of octopus. Nobody’s ever heard an octopus sing, so I was able to provide that for everyone. We had an awesome time doing it together, putting on this mask and this outfit that I had to wear. I felt like I really was the Octopus.
The offseason is the time for players to explore their other loves and passions and this is something that Howard really wanted to do and had fun doing. Unfortunately, his singing skill did not match his prowess in the paint on the basketball court and Howard will now have all focus on the upcoming season with training camp just around the corner.
Howard reveals biggest lessons learned during two Lakers stints
Set to enter his 18th NBA season, Howard has learned many lessons throughout his career. But his time with the Lakers has brought its own things that he has figured out. Now in his third stint in Purple and Gold, Howard recently opened up about what he learned in his first two times with the Lakers.
“Stay in the moment, always,” Howard said. “Always stay in the moment and two, always stay positive. You never know what life is gonna throw your way so instead of complaining, instead of being upset about it, just staying positive and knowing that everything is always gonna be OK. Everything is gonna work itself out.
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