NBA Finals Expected To Boost Dwight Howard's National Exposure

NBA Finals Could Give Howard Opportunity To Reach Superstar Status

The NBA Finals will give Magic C Dwight Howard the "greatest national exposure of his burgeoning pro career and his best opportunity yet to reach the rarefied superstar status" of Lakers G Kobe Bryant and Cavaliers F LeBron James, according to Josh Robbins of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. Univ. of Central Florida DeVos Sport Business Management Program Associate Dir Bill Sutton: "The way he's played has elevated his playing status, thus giving him more ways to put his personality out, thus giving his advertisers and sponsors more ways to utilize him in the marketplace. So, his stock is going to go flying." Robbins notes a superstar "has to excel on the court, but he also has to have charisma and the personality to match." Howard, whose "showmanship has been on display in each of the last two slam-dunk competitions on All-Star weekend, certainly has a 1,000-watt smile." Madison Avenue "has started to utilize Howard too, putting him with Charles Barkley and Dwyane Wade in a TV commercial for T-Mobile." Sutton said of Howard, "This is a guy, if I see him doing a commercial for a video game, I'm going to want to look at that video game, because I think this guy's really playing it. I think he's loving life. I think Dwight Howard is legit" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 6/2).

YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR: NBAStore.com and Majestic Athletic today will introduce an NBA Finals edition of the "Where Amazing Happens" T-shirt collection. The shirt, priced at $19.99, features Bryant and Howard with the text, "Where Crunchtime versus Dunktime Happens" (NBA). Meanwhile, T-shirts featuring Sunday's Orlando Sentinel front page celebrating the Magic's Eastern Conference Finals victory "cost $14.99 plus tax." The T-shirt purchase period "ends June 16, and supplies are limited" (ORLANDOSENTINEL.com, 6/1).

SWEET AS SUGAR: ESPN's Shelley Smith reported Lakers F Lamar Odom often eats candy before games, and representatives "say they have been inundated with calls from candy companies inquiring about possible endorsement deals," and one company sent a "huge box of candy to Denver" for Odom during the club's Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets. Smith: "Odom says in light of his recent success he's not about to change his eating habits" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 6/1).

STAN THE MAN: In Miami, Greg Cote wrote, "The NBA, TV and Nike get half of their dream Finals, the Kobe half. Sorry, LeBron. Wonder if Nike has a Muppet version of Stan Van Gundy ready?" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 6/1).