During the recruitment of Dwight Howard, you often heard the name Chandler Parsons attached to the Houston Rockets anytime there was news about making efforts to convince the center to join them.
Most of us took the news that Parsons had been talking to Howard everyday with a grain of salt with the mindset of “as if he can really make a true difference.” But as it turns out, the forward played an enormous part in helping Howard make his decision. Just ask Chandler himself, from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:
“I think I had a big impact,” Parsons said at USA Basketball’s mini-camp. “The first thing he said at the press conference was that, ‘You guys should thank Chandler Parsons because he is a big reason why I am here.’
“Obviously, he loves the team, [general manager] Daryl Morey, coach [Kevin] McHale and all that. But I think I just gave him that comfort that you got one of your boys here who is also a key part to the team, a young guy. And we can grow on this for a long time.”
“I spent a lot of time during the summer in L.A.,” Parsons said. “We kind of just hit it off. We literally would text every day. He’d call me at 8 p.m. with a question and then he’d call me at midnight with the same question. I respect the way he handled [his free agency]. He took his time and weighed all his options.
“I was just that guy trying to make him feel as comfortable as possible. We have very similar personalities. We are both outgoing. We’re always smiling. We like to have fun. I made him really comfortable that he was not only coming to a really good team, but a team with his friends on it.”
Parsons was so certain of his charming of Howard that he told those close to him that he was 95 percent sure of Howard choosing the Rockets. That’s 10 percent higher than what Hakeem Olajuwon predicted:
“I said I was 95 percent sure he was coming,” Parsons said. “I was comfortable enough and I could tell the way he was talking to me and how he was excited about things in Houston that I was sure he was going to come.”
For his involvement in recruiting Howard away from the Los Angeles Lakers, here is what Parsons has had to deal with:
Parsons said Lakers fans have had harsh words for him on Twitter and in L.A. since Howard signed with the Rockets.
“It’s a circus,” Parsons said. “Just from me recruiting him, my life has changed. I can’t go anywhere now just from getting Dwight Howard to our team without someone saying something.
“It’s going to be hostile environments [next season]. It’s going to be rowdy.
The fact that a player of Parsons’ caliber (solid but not great) could lure a player of Howard’s caliber (a superstar) goes to show that the power of a good relationship in the NBA is not to be taken lightly. This, of course, is not to say that Parsons was the main reason Howard made his decision, but he clearly played a more meaningful role than most may have imagined.
Onto other news from around the league:
Mike Miller has agreed to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies, from Marc Stein of ESPN: “Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Wednesday that Miller has committed to sign a two-year deal with the Grizzlies after being pursued by other contenders such as Oklahoma City and Houston. Kevin Durant was at the forefront of Oklahoma City’s recruiting push, but sources said Miller ultimately couldn’t resist the chance to return for a second stint in Memphis, where he has kept a home since playing for the Grizzlies from the 2002-03 to 2007-08 seasons. One source close to the process told ESPN that Miller, more than anything, chose the Grizzlies because he feels they are closer to getting him back to the Finals than any other team that pursued him, including Oklahoma City. The deal, sources said, will likely be for two years, with Miller possessing a player option entering Year 2.”
