Howard consults Carmelo for career advice

Published Jan. 16, 2012 6:27 p.m. ET

foxsports

NEW YORK — Dwight Howard has dealt with unrelenting questions all season long about his future and where it might take him — whether that’s Brooklyn or Los Angeles or Dallas, or maybe even nowhere at all.

Monday in New York, he finally got a chance to ask some questions of his own.

While the Magic were in town to take on the Knicks, Howard talked with New York forward Carmelo Anthony — one of the few other NBA superstars who knows what it’s like to request a trade in advance of free agency — and Howard admitted that it was helpful to get some things off his chest.

“It was great to hear from him,” Howard said of his talk with Anthony, who last season requested a trade from Denver before eventually being dealt to the Big Apple in February. “All he said is to do what’s best for you, and whatever you decide, people are going to dislike you. But you have to live for you, and that’s good advice. I just told him I want to do whatever I can to win.”

When asked if he has made a final decision on his future, Howard reminded everyone that he’s “still in Orlando” and made it crystal clear that his focus is on his current team, regardless of the abundant speculation over how much longer he’ll wear a Magic jersey.

“We can’t focus on any other situation,” Howard said. “Right now the focus should be one game at a time. We can’t look ahead. We’ve got to stay in the moment, and we’ve been doing a good job so far. We don’t need to discuss anything that happens, trade talks or whatever.

“Our job is to continue to get better, and so far we’ve been doing a good job of just coming in, getting our work in every day and playing good on the court.”

On Monday afternoon, Howard scored eight points and had 10 rebounds as the Magic rallied for a 102-93 win at Madison Square Garden. The win was the fourth straight for Orlando, which now sits at 9-3, atop the Southeast Division.

“Our minds are on winning and staying focused on the goal, which is a championship,” Howard said. “We’re just going to go out every night and play, and it’s my job to lead our team. … When we play the right way I think we can beat anybody.”

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