SG capable of winning Dubai crown – Howard
DWIGHT Howard knows he’s got a stacked up Strong Group Athletic team capable of going all the way to the Finals and winning the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship, which begins on January 19.
And since he, along with former Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche arrived in Manila on Sunday evening, Howard said they’ve been locked in as they practice together the next day.
SG capable of winning Dubai crown – Howard
“We’ve been really focused on what our mission is and why I’m here, so everybody’s locked in,” Howard bared to media men after the team’s practice on Wednesday.
“I really love the energy from all the guys. Everybody’s focused, they all understand how important this tournament is, not just for us to win but for their future career in basketball,” he added.
“It’s been a great opportunity, and I’m super happy that I got a chance to be a part of it.”
Working with Howard and Blatche, easily two of the biggest names in basketball to grace the Philippine club team, are former Oklahoma City Thunder lockdown defender Andre Roberson and former TNT import McKenzie Moore.
UAAP Season 86 champion and Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Quiambao and newly minted MPBL champ and tournament MVP Justin Baltazar are also part of the talent-laden ball club that will have Charles Tiu as coach.
Many-time Gilas member Jordan Heading has also been recruited to play, along with St. Benilde’s Allen Liwag, Justine Sanchez and Tony Ynot, University of the Philippines playmaker JD Cagulangan and Green Archer Francis Escandor.
Howard has faith on this latest Strong Group side, given the massive talent it has as the club team backed by businessmen Frank and Jacob Lao intend to win the Dubai tournament this year.
“How loaded is our team? Come on now, you don’t see what we got in our team? We’ve got the greatest shooters, the greatest defenders, the greatest passers in Dray Blatche, we’ve got some good guys on the team. It’s time to go,” he said.
“I believe we can do anything if we put our minds to it, we gotta have faith. Obviously, this tournament and all of us [are] just coming together to win this tournament, so that’s our focus. Our focus is going to Dubai and playing against whatever team is out there, [representing] the Philippines and winning.”
Howard, the top overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, is coming off a stint with the Taoyuan Leopards in Tawain’s T1-League where he averaged 23.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 blocks.
Proving he can still at a high level, the one-time Olympic gold medalist earned a spot in the T1 League All First Team this past season, emerged as the league’s rebounds leader, the tournament’s Most Valuable Import and All-Star MVP as well.
Before his Asian foray, as a backup big man, Howard helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 NBA title, moved over to play for the Philadelphia 76ers the following year, before returning to the Purple and Gold in the 2021-2022 season.