Coach Stan Van Gundy was the one who told NBA star Dwight Howard to go and sign with the Houston Rockets this past offseason, according to a tweet by Bill Reiter.

"Dwight Howard told me that Stan Van Gundy told him he should go to Houston. Very interesting ..." the tweet said.

Howard is gearing up for his first season with the Rockets after a controversial departure from the Los Angeles Lakers. Howard was apparently upset that he was not getting the ball enough and reports had emerged that he did not want to return to the Lakers if Kobe Bryant would be returning. Howard met with the Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Hawks in the offseason before deciding on Houston.

The Rockets are shaping up to be a talented team heading into the upcoming season. Jeremy Lin, who is entering his second season with the team, said he is looking forward to playing with Howard because it will take some of the pressure away. He struggled at times in his first season with the Rockets after coming over from the New York Knicks.

In other news, The Houston Chronicle reported today that Howard recently made 8 of 10 free throws with his eyes closed. He had challenged his new teammate, James Harden, to see who could make more free throws with their eyes closed.

"There is a guy who has the world record for most free throws made and he told me to do that drill and it's good for trusting your form," Howard told the Chronicle. "You can't see nothing, so you have to trust your form and trust that it goes in."