Campers hope Magic star stays

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Campers hope Magic star stays

Sports

Friday, 22 June 2012 11:41

News-Gazette Photos/Andrew Sullivan

Former St. Cloud basketball coach Tim McMullen works with Celebration K-8 student Ben Wheeler at the Top Gun Shooting basketball camp Tuesday at the St. Cloud High gym.

Magic center still a popular figure at the Top Gun hoops camp

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
Like presidential campaigns, the Dwight Howard saga never seems to end.

For the second summer in a row, Orlando Magic basketball talk begins and ends with speculation about the all-star center’s intentions.
Will he extend his contract with the Magic, or will he be traded so the team can salvage some value for him rather than lose him to free agency next year?
Howard, who has one year remaining on his contract, has been in Los Angeles for the past two months after undergoing minor back surgery. He canceled his youth basketball camp last week but rescheduled for next month. He has given little indication that he wishes to remain a member of the local NBA franchise.
A few of the participants at the Top Gun basketball shooting camp at St. Cloud High voiced their opinions Tuesday.
The consensus among them is that Howard is an extremely popular player who likely is headed out of town.
“They should trade him for two guards,” Colton Viscomi, a Harmony High player, said. “Like, you know he wants to leave. I think if the other teams were offered a good deal, they’d step up.”
Viscomi described himself as an Oklahoma City fan. “But, I liked the Thunder before they reached the (NBA) Finals,” he said.
Logan Warren, from City of Life Academy, said he would rather see Howard stay in Orlando.
“He may stay. He’s a good player, you’d like to see him stay,” Warren said.
Camper Gustavo Delamaza said it really doesn’t matter what Howard does because things don’t look good for the Magic.
“Basically, (the Magic) are done whether he stays or goes,” Delamaza said.
Delamaza, a Los Angeles Lakers fan, said the Magic don’t have enough talent surrounding Howard to go far in the playoffs, and if they trade him, they can’t get equal value.
Spencer Gomez of St. Cloud would like the NBA center to stay.
“I like him, but I might be a little bit mad at him if he left,” Gomez said.
Anthony Pinkerton is a devoted Magic fan who would miss Howard if he departs.
“It probably would make me kind of mad,” he said.
At the same time, Pinkerton understands that pro basketball is a business.
“If he went to another team, I’d be glad for him if he went to one of the top teams,” he said.
Nohemy Aguila, a Lady Bulldogs basketball player who graduated in May, bears no ill will toward Howard no matter what his decision.
“I’m fine with it. As a player, he has to go where he thinks he can reach the championship game,” she said. “I would love him to stay, but in the end, he has to do what is better for him. The Magic should build up their team to help him. He can’t do it alone.”
One of the younger campers, Amanda Torres, simply wants her favorite player to stay in Orlando.
“Everyone likes him. They should like him, because he’s the best player!” the Magic fan said.
About 70 students were at the Top Gun camp Tuesday. Founder Tim McMullen, a St. Cloud High coach for 28 years, said the campers were doing a good job of picking up fundamental skills that can help them as they move along the youth basketball ladder.
“It’s fun, and the kids need this kind of instruction from the good young coaches we have here,” McMullen said.
Osceola County’s all-time leading high school male (Tim Gatz) and female (Dana Smith) scorers participated at the Top Gun camp. Most of the others high on the scoring list also participated at the camp.
St. Cloud girls basketball coach Chad Ansbaugh has co-hosted the camp for the past several years.
“It’s getting near time for me to turn this over to the younger coaches, but I have a great time working with these kids,” McMullen said.