Howard Seeks To Follow Duckworth’s Example (Columbian)

[ABM]

From: The Columbian

Juwan Howard said it came down to one word: class.

Kevin Duckworth defined class, Howard said. And respect. And wisdom.

It was 1994. Howard was an NBA rookie with the Washington Bullets. He’d just danced in the bright lights as part of the famed ‘Fab Five’ at Michigan. But that was college. Nothing in college could compare to the glitz and glamor of the NBA. Howard had a lot to learn. And he needed a teacher.

Duckworth was also a Bullet in ‘94. But he was far from a rookie. Duckworth’s career was almost over, and he was an NBA veteran in decline — someone whose famous days with the Portland Trail Blazers were already beginning to fade into the past.

Duckworth had no reason to pay attention to Howard, let alone give him a piece of his time.

But Duckworth did. And he did more than just pay attention to Howard — he treated the rookie with class and respect, taking the former Wolverine under his wing.

Duckworth took Howard out for dinner when the two were on the road, killing time while they waited to play for a miserable Bullets team that finished 21-61............................

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Great article. Brian T. Smith is lookin' good.

 

[Shooter]

It's a nice story, but I'm still not sure that Howard is going to help our team much. The guys that provide real leadership are usually on the floor, but Howard will be on the bench.

 

[PapaG]

It's a nice story, but I'm still not sure that Howard is going to help our team much. The guys that provide real leadership are usually on the floor, but Howard will be on the bench.

Duckworth wasn't on the floor much for the Bullets. Besides, leadership doesn't have to mean leader of the team. Sometimes, it means making a difference for a single player. I think that was the point of the article. At least that's what I got out of it.

 

[Foulzilla]

It's a nice story, but I'm still not sure that Howard is going to help our team much. The guys that provide real leadership are usually on the floor, but Howard will be on the bench.

I tend to agree with your overall thought. A big impact will be made by the guys on the court. I hope Miller will have a big impact. That being said, Howard is being paid the veteran's minimum. He doesn't have to have a big impact to have been a good signing. As long as he make any positive impact at all, and is available for some spot minutes, he's a good signing in my opinion.

 

[ppilot]

Duckworth wasn't on the floor much for the Bullets. Besides, leadership doesn't have to mean leader of the team. Sometimes, it means making a difference for a single player. I think that was the point of the article. At least that's what I got out of it.

Same here. Howard has pretty much seen it all and will be a steadying infuence on the bench

 

[BBert]

There are a lot of ways to contribute to a team. From the top management on down, everyone contributes in a good organization. I think Howard was a great acquisition for the team, regardless of how much time he gets in games. I'm not prepared to speculate on how much playing time he'll actually get but his potential contributions in practice and mentoring some of our guys should not be underestimated. From the sounds of it, he's already educating them on playing the right way. Nothing wrong with having a coach on the court.

 

[handiman]

I thought this was going to be an article about Dwight Howard morphing his physique into Duckworth's.

 

[BenDavis503]

Good read!

 

[MARIS61]

We've got 3 leaders on the court, none on the bench.