The choice to play with the Lakers

Every athlete wants the opportunity to win championships and go down as one of the best in their respective sport.

Dwight Howard, center of the Orlando Magic, is no different.

He too wants to compete at the highest level and win NBA championships.

The opportunity is there for the taking for Howard right now.

The opportunity is not with the Magic but with another NBA team.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the team he has that opportunity to win championships and go down as one of the best.

The Lakers are the team that gave many players the chance to win, win and win.

Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabber, Shaquille O'Neal, James Worthy, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant and etc. are just some of the many players who came and did a whole lot with the Lakers.

Right now the Lakers are pleading a trade that will send Chris Paul, one of the best point guards in the NBA right now, to Los Angeles where the Lakers look to win another championship and many more in the years to come.

Howard has a chance to be a part of that. He has the chance to go to Los Angeles and win, win and win with Paul and Bryant.

There is a problem though . . .

There is a rumor going around that Howard does not want to come to the Lakers only because he refuses to continue to be compared to O'Neal and have people claim he is trying to be like O'Neal.

Although that is something that can be irritating and annoying to be accused of being like someone--the chance to be as good or better than a hall-of-fame player is the best thin that can happen to a player, especially Howard.

Howard has the chance to be better than O'Neal and have people see him differently.

Although their roads started the same and can end the same. When the story is over, Howard has the control of deciding what people are going to compare when it is between O'Neal and him.

Howard cannot allow this to determine his choice to be traded to Los Angeles.

He will basically avoid winning simply because he does not want others to think he is copying O'Neal. What he should be thinking is that he is blessed to be compared to the likes of O'Neal and has the shot to experience what O'Neal did.

It is not a bad choice. O'Neal did it and he is one his way to the hall-of-fame.

The Lakers are a no brainier. The New Jersey Nets are not the right choice.

Deron Williams will leave and Howard will be alone.

The Nets are not going to be respected and the New York Knicks will always be the better team in the big apple, even if they suck.

The decision is simple and it is up to Howard to determine if he wants to be his own self or always let people to think he is the like O'Neal.

Los Angeles is where he needs to be. Paul and Bryant will be waiting for him.