CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dwight Howard was acquired by the Charlotte Hornets in a trade from the Atlanta Hawks, but he hasn't held his 'all-star' status in recent years.
There are a lot of critics of Howard's move to Hornets, but most of the fans who spoke with Channel 9 outside Spectrum Center Wednesday are excited that he's coming to Charlotte.
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Many said he's not only a good fit for the team, but also a good fit for the city.
"I'd definitely go see him. I think he'll be an asset,” Christina Rilli said.
The Hornets are bringing Howard, a 6-foot-11 center, to town for his skills on the court, but fans in Charlotte also know who he is beyond basketball.
"I think he'll bring a lot of positive energy to the city,” Louis Holland said. “I know he's big in the community, so I think he's good for the community."
Howard has his own charity, the D12 Foundation, raising money in areas like early childhood education, literacy and leadership.
Fans in uptown were quick to brush off Howard's shortcomings, like his lackluster time with the L.A. Lakers and Kobe Bryant.
"He and Kobe didn't build that type of bond because both of them wanted some spotlight,” Shaw Sanders said. "You just got to wait for the season. We don't know. We got to see for ourselves."
Channel 9 asked fans if they would buy tickets to the Spectrum Center to see Howard play.
All of those we asked said they would.
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