National Basketball Association

Dwight Howard says he's motivated to bring a title to Atlanta

Published Jul. 6, 2016 12:33 p.m. ET

Aaron Torres

While all the focus in NBA free agency has centered around Kevin Durant turning the Warriors into a new 'super team' and Dwyane Wade potentially leaving Miami, it's easy to forget that another player, who was once considered their peer, switched jerseys this off-season as well.

That would be Dwight Howard, who, long before he became a highly-paid role player in Houston, was once considered to be one of the undisputed best players in the sport. Honestly, it wasn't all that long ago that Howard led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals, and as he returns to his hometown of Atlanta he hopes to find similar success.

Heck, he hopes to take that success one step further and win a title. Here's what he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the matter on Tuesday:

So why was he ticked off?

Now obviously, while a lot of the focus here will be on Dwight saying 'I want to bring a title to Atlanta' it feels important to peel back the layers on the rest of his comments. Do so, and we see a guy, that maybe, after all these years in the league, is starting to mature just a tiny bit.

For starters Dwight admits it won't be easy to win in Atlanta, which is obvious, but something that he might not have said (or realized) just a few years ago. Furthermore, it really does feel like Dwight is committed to winning. Dwight probably could have made a bit more money somewhere else, but instead decided to come to a perennial playoff contender in Atlanta.

Now, is Howard the missing piece on a good, but not great team? It feels like a stretch.

But is he finally starting to show some maturity as he approaches his 31st birthday? The answer seems like a yes.