Former Lakers man unveiled by new team and is excited by the opportunity.
The Houston Rockets officially unveiled Dwight Howard on Saturday, as the major free-agent acquisition looks ahead to his fresh start.
Having decided against staying with the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard agreed to a four-year deal worth $88m with the Rockets, and was greeted by some legends of the franchise during his press conference.
Amongst those in attendance were Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming, as Howard hopes to become the latest to join a storied line of centers to play for the Rockets.
His move brings an end to a troubled time in LA, despite averaging 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds, his time with the franchise was filled with unrest and fall-outs with fellow players and coaches.
Despite a campaign from the Lakers to attempt to persuade Howard to stay, he eventually decided against that option to instead join up with the likes of James Harden and Jeremy Lin in Houston.
Coach Kevin McHale and the front office talked up their chances ahead of next season, suggesting that the signing of Howard would now take them to a championship contender level.
It is undoubtedly an impressive swoop, and they will look to challenge the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers next season.
As for Howard, he is relishing the opportunity for a fresh start, and spoke about how this was a great chance for him to pick his own destiny as he hopes to make an impact both on and off the court with his new team.
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