Dwight Howard Would Like the Ball For a Second

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↵NBA players have different ways of messing with shooters at the line, but spitting on the ball is a new one on me. But that’s exactly what Dwight Howard has done, with apparent permission from the referees.↵↵⇥You learn something new every NBA game.↵⇥↵⇥On Saturday night, I learned that Dwight Howard spits on the ball.↵⇥

↵⇥↵⇥Every time a Warriors player went to the line to shoot two, after the first free-throw try, the Orlando Magic’s massive center asked the ref for the ball, spit on it and flipped it back to the ref. Seriously.↵⇥

↵⇥↵⇥“I’m just blowing on it,” Howard fibbed with a smile when I asked him about it after the game. “I’m putting a spell on them.”↵⇥

↵↵↵That isn’t going to please the H1N1 alarmists at all. Moreover, why is the ref bothering to hand the ball over to Howard before the Warriors are taking three throws. Especially when it’s evident to people in the crowd 20 rows away that he’s spitting on the ball?↵

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