“Apollo 12”
Verse I
Brace yourself, I’ll take you on a trip down memory lane
When Dwight Howard had m.a.a.d. game
Before his addiction to fame, before he turned lame
Before he had only himself to blame
Rumor has it that he had this all planned
One big grandstand. Unpopular by demand
LA. Land. Opportunity. A wish come true
His middle finger to Orlando blue
Using free agency as his chance to be free, but freedom came at a price
Fans. Media. Teammates. Refused to be nice
Worse season of his life
Yet no remorse, apologies or excuses
He threw up deuces. Twice.
Third city in three seasons
Blame game. No Chris Rock. No reasons
Wrecked one team, then he wrecked a kingdom
Same outcome. All parts, no sum
Apollo 12
Houston, yeah, you have a problem
Chorus
“This is my opportunity for me to write my own story. It’s an opportunity for me to move forward, to change the perception of what other people have tried to make of me.” – Dwight Howard
Verse II
Tried to make of you ? Try owning the perception you put out of yourself
Vacillating back and forth like an indecisive elf
Meaningless as a gnome on a shelf
Entered the NBA as the pre-Tebow
From bible verses to baby mamas. Off-court drama. More Shawty Lo than Dali Lama
No concern of how that looks in comparison to who you told us you once were
Sold us on who you once were
But fans forget. It’s all a blur
All in the past because our memory’s selective
Moral compass? Let’s put it in proper perspective
You turned on yourself before you flipped on any of us
It’s a pill that’s hard to swallow, doesn’t mean you’re shallow
Just means that there’s a hypocrite gene running through
26.2. Marathon. Common.
We all see the — in yoo (too).
Bridge I
“Dwight Howard is the perfect example of the fact that ‘potential has a shelf life.’” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“It was expected. We've all been in L.A., and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. Everybody wants to do it, but when you get there, there are certain pressures. I think it was a safe move for him to go to a little town like Houston. That's right, little town. I said it." – Shaquille O’Neal
Verse III
He keeps proving the haters correct.
Making ‘em look like Beano Cook in Vegas. Bet.
Dwightmare. Reflection eternal. Reflection tells the whole story
Of a grown man trapped in a superstar’s body with the mind of a pampered child
Spoiled by society’s addiction to the promise of potential.
NBA commodity gone wild.
Balling in an era when centers are extinct
Blink. 82 games — not the group — to reprove dominance
Blink. 16 win post-season to reclaim prominence
The prominent. Always the projection of something…
Momma said save words if they aren’t nice but let them flow if precise
Here’s some advice: Stop dreaming and listen to Dream
Stop scheming and be one with a team
Not one above the team
Hate who you’ve allowed yourself to become
See what we see, not what you believe
Understand what is at stake
Your fate, beyond the money you’ll ever stand to make
If Rick Ross is Maybach, you are a Mazda
If Hov drops MCHG, you are dropped as HNIC
Imitator. The lovers in the taker, faker, lover of the Lakers
LL to KL. Swimming pools of basketball greatness going down the drain
Please stop killing my vibe
Bridge II
“It gets back to the ‘Gladiator’ ethos: Win the crowd, and you'll win your freedom. (Dwight) Howard is still a prisoner of his reputation, shackled to the bad choices of his past by a public that isn't willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's moved on to a new team, perhaps his best opportunity so far. He just hasn't moved past his inability to make and swiftly execute good decisions.” – J.A. Adande
Verse IV
Does he really wanna win? No Romo.
Is he the franchise player to build a team around? No YOLO.
His hope is not solo. It belongs now to a city that went all in
First Jeremy Lin, now him
Coming with more baggage than Luis Vuitton can design
No one has his back. No Jameer. No Kobe. No co-sign.
Traveling the world blind and alone like Eli
But acting like Favre in the end
Perpetuating a trend. Starving for attention and love but giving nothing in return
Will we ever learn?
A chip or two will exorcise all of the demons away
But we know chips tend to fall where they may
And there they will lay
(You mad yet, bro?)
Everywhere but on his shoulders
Chorus – out
“I’m relieved. Now I can just really concentrate on what I’ve been trying to concentrate on all summer, just getting better… [A championship is] the priority. That’s the priority. [Shoot], I’m betting $30 million on it.” – Dwight Howard
