When Dwight Howard came to Houston he said he left $30 million on the table for the chance to win a championship, something he thought he could do in Houston. As it turns out, he may have given up $30 million to get away from Kobe Bryant.
Released excerpts of Phil Jackson's auto-biography, given to the New York Daily News, recounts the Lakers' efforts to keep Howard in Los Angeles:
"The Lakers invited Kobe and Steve to the final pitch meeting to help persuade Dwight to come on board. It sounded like a good idea. Steve sent out an amusing tweet before the meeting: “Dwight Howard we’re coming for you. You’re going to love the statue we build for you outside Staples in 20yrs!” And Kobe made a moving speech during the pitch, promising to teach Dwight the secret of winning championships that he’d learned from the best in the game.
If the meeting had ended there, it might have worked. But after the presentation, Dwight asked Kobe what he was planning to do after he recovered from his Achilles injury. Was this going to be his last year? “No,” replied Kobe. “I’m planning to be around for three or four more years.”
At that point, according to others in the room, Dwight’s eyes went blank and he drifted away. In his mind, the game was over.
A few days later he announced that he was signing with the Rockets."
