That’s former NBA All-Star Josh Howard to you!
As if the news of Greg Oden finding a new basketball home and the Lakers trying to coax Yi Jianlian into coming back to his old one wasn’t enough, it looks like the ghosts of 2007 have returned to haunt us even further this offseason.
According to a report on Thursday by Dwain Price of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram, former Maverick Josh Howard has been working out at the team’s arena this week with the hopes of making an NBA comeback.
Howard, now 35, holds career averages of 14.3 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. He played seven memorable seasons in Dallas, helping lead the team to their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history in 2006 and making the All-Star Team in 2007.
However, after being traded to the Wizards in 2010 and tearing his ACL shortly thereafter, Howard was never the same. He then bounced around between the Jazz and the Timberwolves before tearing his ACL again in 2012 and has been out of the league ever since.
Of course, Howard was also known for his, shall we say, colorful personality off-the-court, making headlines in his heyday for partying, disrespecting the national anthem, and his open admission that he, along with many NBA other players, do indeed smoke weed.
At his best, the Wake Forest product was a 3-and-D wing ahead of his time that complemented Dirk Nowitzki perfectly with his midrange mastery, defensive intensity, and underrated work on the glass. But the lethal trio of injuries, vices, and Father Time seem to have caught up to Howard a long time ago, and his comeback bid, though valiant, may ultimately prove futile. For in a league that values versatility on the perimeter more than ever, 2015 Josh Howard is little more than a one-dimensional semi-scorer now. And maybe those really are better off left in 2007.
H/T theScore
