Mario Elie tells Dwight Howard, head to Houston, forget L.A. and Brooklyn!

If anyone had any doubt that Mario Elie wouldn't be back on the Nets bench next season, he seemed to erase them Thursday night when he made a televised pitch to Dwight Howard on behalf of the Rockets.

"Hopefully, Dwight Howard, you've got to come down to Texas, man," Elie said. "No state taxes, ain't no pressure down here. You don't have to worry about LA, Hollywood, or Brooklyn. Texas is great. The fans are terrific down here. We support. We're not like the Miami fans leaving when the game's not even over. We stay until the end here in Houston. Come on down to Texas, Dwight."

Elie was a member of both Rockets championship teams in 1994 and 1995 as well as the Spurs in 1999. He also played with the 76ers, Warriors, Blazers, and Suns in his 11-year NBA career. He was hired by Avery Johnson. The article on his pitch didn't even mention his role with the Nets.

Earlier this week, Elie promoted his basketball camp barely mentioning that he served as Nets assistant coach. Unlike other assistants, Elie has not been seen around PNY Center this spring.

• Mario Elie to Dwight: Come to Houston (Video) - Howard Chen - Comcast Sports Net Houston