The Houston Rockets' dinner presentation to free-agent center Dwight Howard at
the Hotel Bel-Air centered on the franchise's championship history and
an infrastructure designed to give Howard a chance at multiple titles,
sources with knowledge of the meeting told Yahoo! Sports.
Houston has emerged as the frontrunner to sign the Los Angeles Lakers center, league sources said, and those close to Howard confirmed late Sunday that the Rockets did nothing to dampen Howard's enthusiasm for the possibilities of playing for Houston.
Beyond Houston Rockets owner Les Alexander, general manager Daryl Morey, his front office staff, and coach Kevin McHale, the organization brought Hakeem Olajuwon
and Clyde Drexler to make cases to Howard about ownership's long
commitment to winning and its relationships with its iconic players.
"Hakeem didn't say much, but what did he say was very impactful," one
source in the room told Yahoo! Sports. Olajuwon talked about the
Rockets as a destination for championships and drew upon his own
personal relationship with Howard, sources said.
Yao Ming, another former great Rockets center, connected into the meeting from China through Skype and talked to Howard about his experiences with Houston.
Rockets stars James Harden and
Chandler Parsons pitched Howard about how they wanted him as a teammate,
how the chemistry of the locker room would welcome him. Without
bringing up the Los Angeles Lakers,
the Rockets could sell two things that the Lakers likely can't: a
chance for a close connection with the franchise's star players; and an
immediate chance to be a championship contender.
"His main focus was winning and we will give him the best opportunity to do that," Parsons told Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears.
Rockets officials plan to stay in
Los Angels for several days this week, meeting with free agents around
the area and staying connected to Howard as he meets with the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and ultimately the Los Angeles Lakers.
Agents talking to the Rockets about potential additions to the
roster say they're searching for shooters and complementary players to
surround Howard. "They're progressing on everything with Dwight in
mind," one prominent agent said Sunday night. "They seem very
confident."
Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Rockets clearing space for Dwight Howard
• NBA free-agent tracker
• Photos: Top 10 NBA free agents
• Complete list of NBA free agents
• Pistons go all in for Josh Smith
• Rockets clearing space for Dwight Howard
• NBA free-agent tracker
• Photos: Top 10 NBA free agents
• Complete list of NBA free agents
• Pistons go all in for Josh Smith