On one hand is Howard’s close friend and former Illinois teammate, Deron Williams, a reserve guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who, not long ago, was one of the top point guards in the pro game.

On the other hand is Shaun Livingston, a reserve guard for the Golden State Warriors, who, like Howard, grew up in Peoria, Ill., and still has a lot of love for his hometown.

While the two close friends of the KU assistant will be battling each other for the right to bring home this year’s NBA title, Howard said they actually have one big thing in common. They both love KU coach Bill Self.

Williams, who played three seasons for Self at Illinois, always loved and appreciated Self’s competitive nature and coaching style. Livingston, who joined the NBA straight out of high school, actually visited Illinois before turning pro and also fell in love with Self’s style.

“A lot of people don’t know this,” Howard said. “But Shaun loves him some Bill Self. He committed to Duke, but one of the best recruiting visits we ever had at Illinois was when he came to visit. If he would’ve gone to school, I think we would’ve had a chance to get him to Illinois.”

Howard, who is five years older than Livingston, said he and his friends around town knew as early as Livingston’s fifth-grade year that the young guard had a big time future.

“I was always leaving and he was always coming in,” Howard said of their overlap in school. “But I watched him grow up and he always had that “it” factor. Ever since he started playing in the fifth grade, playing at the park, we all knew he was special.”

Howard’s connection to Williams, whom he played with under Self at Illinois, did not surface in grade school but extended beyond their college days, with Howard spending a month living with and working out with Williams before the 2005 NBA Draft, where Williams was the third overall pick of the Utah Jazz.

“Champaign (Illinois) was kind of country and he wasn’t really feeling it when he was first got there and I kind of took him under my wing and made sure he was comfortable, just doing what the older guys did to me,” Howard said of Williams, who attended high school in Texas. “He’s one of my closest friends to this day. We were in each others’ weddings and we just have a special bond. To be with him when he was drafted in New York and now get the chance to go out and see him play in the NBA Finals is pretty special. It kind of feels like coming full circle.”

Williams was the one who actually got Howard tickets to Game 1 and he told him to make sure he brought his son, J.J., who, like his father, will have a hard time picking a team to root for during the series.

“Of course he loves D-Will and he loves Shaun,” Howard said of his son’s allegiances. “But he’s a big KD (Kevin Durant) fan and he’s a big Steph (Curry) fan and he loves Kyrie (Irving), too, so he’s rooting for everybody.”

As for Howard himself?

“It is tough,” he said. “Shaun’s already got a title and I kind of want D-Will to get one, selfishly. But I really just want them both to play well and to enjoy a great game.”