The signs pleading for Dwight Howard to stay with the Lakers hasn’t just emerged on billboards across Los Angeles. They’re also coming in the form of former and current Lakers tweeting out their hopes that Howard chooses to stay in purple and gold.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson kept his message straight, to the point and similar to the hashtag the Lakers have presented on their various billboards.
.@DwightHoward Stay. #StayD12
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 1, 2013
If the Lakers are going to add any more members to their meeting Tuesday with Howard, Johnson won’t be one of them. He’s currently vacationing in Europe and has no plans even when he returns to engage in part of the Lakers’ campaign in hopes to convince Howard to stay. Except for tweeting, of course.
Lakers guard Steve Nash plans to attend the meeting Tuesday, and it’s safe to say he’ll reiterate the talking point he wrote Monday morning in 140 characters.
Flying from NYC to LA. @DwightHoward we're coming for you. You're going to love the statue we build for you outside Staples in 20yrs!
— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) July 1, 2013
Howard plans to talk with the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors on Monday and then the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday, meetings that will endlessly involve the respective teams’ vision that they are the best team positioned to help Howard win his first NBA championship.
The Lakers had requested that Howard meet with them last in hopes their message would convince Howard otherwise from any positive feelings he may have felt before in his meetings with other teams. But the Lakers also snuck in the first word, too. Shortly after free agency began at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak briefly met with Howard before he met with members of the Houston Rockets in Los Angeles, according to a league source familiar with the discussions.
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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@dailynews.com