For the first time in nearly two and a half years, Dwight Howard has lost his leverage on the NBA. The frenzy spanned coast to coast, leaving fired coaches and franchises by the wayside.

What remains is the fact the Houston Rockets have snatched up the most coveted free agent in the class of 2013. It’s fitting that Howard chose the Rockets, that a man who embodies the small-town mentality with huge expectations always wanted to be the key of a smaller city. Sadly for Howard, the pressure to win now mounts twelvefold.

Howard has decided to forego years of championship success, the tutelage of the Black Mamba, and a plaque in history as the next centerpiece to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, he receives a 24-year-old James Harden, a smart mind in head coach Kevin McHale, and an aggressive front office willing to bring in another superstar.

The next time things go bad for Dwight, we will point at him and laugh. There will be no more leaked stories complaining about the coaching staff. No more "I want out, I want in" nonsense. Dwight Howard will be at the discretion of the Houston Rockets, whether they win or lose with his roster.

We should be eager for the pressure that Howard will now have to endure, especially for a man who loves to dodge mounting expectations and media attention with one big swooping smile.

For many players, free agency is a time to jump on board with your buddies and assemble a dream team to win titles. The Miami Heat showed what it takes to sacrifice some cash and focus on cementing their legacy as NBA Champions.

Most superstars have the mental makeup and personality to help the greater cause of the team and attract big name players to their town. Sadly, this free agency period taught us that Howard is coveted by teams, but is quickly losing respect from players around the league.

The Orlando Magic treated Howard like a cornerstone, assembling a squad of three-point shooters and crafty ball handlers to open up the court. This allowed the Magic to make a run to the NBA Finals, propelling D-12’s name amongst the elite in the NBA for his rim-protecting presence. The Lakers brought in what they thought was the missing piece to a championship, only to find out Howard wanted nothing to do with the bullish Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers asked Howard to be the "bad guy" in order to win more games, a title we know Howard hates to be called. Even back to his Orlando days, Dwight has been willing to lie to a city and resign an one-year extension, just so he could avoid the stigma of being called a traitor. 

This offseason belonged to Dwight Howard because he held all the leverage, holding a fifth of the league in limbo about his overly publicized selection. Even at the end of the process after numerous reports cited Howard’s decision, Howard’s agent, Derek Fagan, muted the rumors on Twitter by saying no official deal was reached.

The best way to describe the first week of free agency would be likening it to an even more drawn-out version of the Rose Ceremony on "The Bachelor."

In one corner you have Howard. A man who led the league in rebounding while playing with an injured back for most of the year and in a system that limited his ability.

In the other, there is the rest of the NBA overlooking the emotion, whining and patronizing of Howard for the talent that rests on his shoulders. Someone had to give, and luckily for the rest of the free agents on the market, Howard made the best decision for winning a ring.

The most intriguing part of the process was the distant lengths teams took to sway Howard. The Lakers most famously plastered #STAYd12 billboards throughout the city of Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant, Mike D’Antoni and Jim Buss held a saving-face pitch with Howard on Tuesday. But at the end of the day, the indecisive Howard made up his mind. And it wasn't the Lakers.

As for the rest of the league, Mark Cuban swung and missed on the big free agent for the second straight season, cementing the fact that Dallas will end up a one-hit championship wonder and that Dirk Nowitzki will ride into the night with little supporting cast to finish his outstanding career.

Golden State made some serious news on Dwight Day, adding Andre Iguodala to an already potent lineup. This roster preserved its best young stars, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and have the coach in Mark Jackson to win for the future.

Now that the dust has settled, let’s focus on the heart of the matter, dollars and cents in the contract. For all the talk of Dwight taking a major pay cut, the 13 percent state tax in California would have taken a major hit in the extra $30 million Howard left on the table. The way it currently stands, Howard’s deal gives him leverage.

The four-year, $88 million maximum contract agreement with the Rockets will include an early termination option after the 2015-16 season. The NBA could go through the same shenanigans in two more years if Dwight doesn’t like the coaching situation, playing under rising expectations, or the disappointment of not having things go according to plan. This at the time when Howard turns a prime 30 years old.

Despite the week of reported insight, back-and-forth Twitter battles and numerous ESPN updates, the NBA got a brief taste of the limelight thanks to one free-agent superstar. A great move, given the attention that tennis majors, Major League Baseball, and NASCAR usually draw during the Fourth of July time of year.

Fans may hate the drama that comes with following the ever-changing whims of the indecisive Howard, but the attention the league garnered definitely caught the interested of the larger sporting world. The bigger question: will we possibly be able to handle even more Dwight Howard indecision two years from now?

Reach Staff Writer Evan Budrovich here or follow him on Twitter.