Howard the rare No. 1 who'll win crown ... and beat L.A.!
By Cam Inman
San Jose Mercury News

DWIGHT HOWARD IS our new Beat-L.A. torchbearer.

Beat L.A. is exactly what Howard, the Orlando Magic's superstar center, will do in the NBA Finals that start today in — plug your nose — Los Angeles, against the favored Lakers.

Beat L.A. "... Beat L.A. "... Beat L.A.!

We never run out of reasons to cathartically chant that. We do so because of Lasorda, Manny, Gibson (Kirk, or Mel, if you prefer), "Showtime," ex-Rams, ex-Raiders, rally monkeys, Kings, Ducks, Bruins, USC slush funds (er, trust funds) and, of course, Kobe.

While these NBA Finals give Kobe Bryant a chance to cement his all-time-great status and win a fourth le, Howard is launching a legacy that excites sports enthusiasts everywhere.

Howard already deserves credit for doing the unthinkable. Knocking off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals? Oh, that was nice, too.

But, among the common fans, Howard merits special commendation for reviving the All-Star Game's dunk contest. He donned Superman's cape. He smacked a sticker high up on the backboard. He came out of a phone booth (a round too soon, this year) and even let an opponent hop over him for a winning dunk.

He has fun with his sport, the way Brett Favre did (does) with football. As for his engaging personality, not many athletes would dare imitate their coach's wild screams as Howard did this week for ESPN's "Sunday Night Conversation."

All that charismatic showmanship is a bonus, however. Now comes time to roll up the sleeves, show off those boulder-like shoulders and "... "Beat L.A." as swiftly as the Boston Celtics did in last year's finals.

Howard can do it (in five games). He will do it. He is supposed to do it.

Supposed to do it? Yes, he is a No. 1 overall draft pick, straight out of an Atlanta high school in 2004.

He is also our No. 1-pick torchbearer.

Can you imagine a top pick actually coming through with a le in this age when each top pick's contract and hype have grown ginormously?

Championships are demanded from those chosen ones at No. 1, and that goes for any sport.

Raiders fans surely wish JaMarcus Russell (No. 1 pick, 2007 NFL draft) can pull it off. Same goes for the 49ers' Alex Smith (No. 1, 2005), and don't forget Carson Palmer, David Carr or (gulp) Michael Vick. Only the Manning brothers — Peyton in the 2006 season, Eli in 2007 — have quelled the lynch mob demanding that recent top picks win Super Bowls.

Baseball's top picks rarely get as much hype as football's or basketball's, but we are still waiting for Alex Rodriguez (1993 No. 1) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1987) to win a World Series.

Back in the NBA, Warriors fans didn't get a whiff of that championship feeling (or much of anything) from Joe Smith, No. 1 overall in the 1995 NBA draft. Just think about those No. 1 picks since Smith who haven't reached the level Howard is at now: Michael Olowokandi, Elton Brand, Kenyon Martin, Kwame Brown, Yao Ming, ("King?") James, Andrew Bogut, Andrea Bargnani, Greg Oden and Derrick Rose.

Tim Duncan is the exception. He beat wild expectations that came as the No. 1 pick in 1997. He won the first of his four NBA championships only two years into the league. But Duncan, even with those four rings, doesn't provide the allure that Howard can and will.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was our 34th president. Dwight D. Howard is ready to preside over the NBA.

As convincingly as Howard demonstrated his physical skills in the series-clinching win over Cleveland (40 points, 14 rebounds), he also has intangibles. The dude dunked so hard he brought down a shot clock last series.

Howard's allegiance to Orlando is admirable. There is no Yankees cap hinting at his next plan. He hasn't gone on sports-talk radio and demanded a trade if he doesn't get a better supporting cast.

His smile sparkles almost as vibrantly as, well, the guy Orlando's team is named after — Magic Johnson. (Hey, don't let facts ruin this fairy tale.)

Howard will be a force in the paint that the Lakers can't control. Not with Andrew "Bad-Knee" Bynum. Or Lamar Odom. Or Pau Gasol. Or whomever Phil Jackson throws at him. Howard will draw defenders inside and clear the way for Orlando's 3-point shooters to complement him.

He will "Beat L.A."