Oh no, J.Ho!!

Josh Howard, the 6'7" small forward has become a star for Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks. This All-American out of Wake Forest possesses excellent athleticism, scoring prowess, and great defense; providing Dallas fans with someone to get excited about for years to come.

In his first year in the league, J.Ho averaged 8.6 points a game off the bench. In his 3rd year, he was a critical player who helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals by averaging 15.6 ppg. In his 4th season, J.Ho gained even more national recognition due to Mark Cuban's campaign to get him voted into the All-Star game. And oh yeah, he just had his best year this past season, averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds per contest.

With a player such as Howard, an athlete who continues to improve every season, a legitimate defender on a soft Dallas team, and a player loved by it's city, there's no wonder why Mark Cuban rejected a potential Artest-Howard trade, right?

Well, J.Ho probably should have kept his mouth shut about his off-season marijuana usage during the first round of the play-offs against the 2nd seeded New Orleans Hornets. He also shouldn't have tried to publicize his nightclub birthday party after a game 4 loss in that series, but he did anyway. But all that's in the past and Mark Cuban forgives him because he's a young talented player and he's made huge strides to make amends for his misdoings.

So much for that ounce of faith. On August 1, Josh Howard was arrested for drag racing on a 55mph street. Sigh... And of all cars to race, a VW.

True, being arrested for drag racing is nothing like being convicted of rape or murder; but to state it plainly: He fu*ked up. Three significant offenses in 5 months is a terrible stat to have and it really makes you wonder when the bad news will stop. Is Josh Howard a closeted gang banger who's just starting to come out, or does the bad news stop here?

Personally, I hope it stops there. I've already lost a significant amount of respect for J.Ho for his lack of intelligence, but the NBA needs its stars. I truly can't stand the idea of Josh Howard's bright career spiraling down due to a series of issues not linked to basketball. I really don't want to lose any more athletes to personal and legal issues (Shawn Kemp-drugs, Tractor Traylor-tax fraud, Michael Vick-dog fighting), nor do I want them shipped off to Europe.

J.Ho, stop your foolishness. Play ball.
(The money's only going to get better for you.)