Dwight Howard supports Kyrie Irving’s stance on not resuming 2019-20

When word first came out that Kyrie Irving was questioning the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season, reports indicated the Brooklyn Nets point guard’s focus was on how players were going to live in the Disney World bubble in Orlando.

But then there was a call amongst the players on Friday, and the reports that followed indicated Irving’s focus was instead on the potential social impact of basketball returning. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Irving stated the following:

I don’t support going into Orlando. I’m not with the systematic racism and the [expletive]. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.

But Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Irving also said, “If it’s worth the risk, then let’s go and do it,” adding:

But if you’re not with it, it’s OK, too. We’ve got options for both ways. Let’s just come to a middle ground as a family.

Charania also added that Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard expressed that he didn’t want to continue the season. On Saturday, Howard released a statement via his agent to CNN, stating he stands with Irving on the matter:

I agree with Kyrie. Basketball, or entertainment period, isn’t needed at this moment, and will only be a distraction. Sure it might not distract us the players, but we have resources at hand [the] majority of our community don’t have. And the smallest distraction for them, can start a trickle down effect that may never stop. Especially with the way the climate is now. I would love nothing more than to win my very first NBA Championship. But the unity of My People would be an even bigger Championship, that’s just to[o] beautiful to pass up. What better time than now for us to be focusing on our families. This is a rare opportunity for that, I believe, we as a community should be taking full advantage of. When have we ever had this amount of time to sit and be with our families. This is where our Unity starts. At home! With Families!! European Colonization stripped us of our rich history, and we have yet to sit down and figure us out. The less distractions, the more we can put into action into rediscovering ourselves. Nations come out of families. Black/African American is not a Nation or Nationality. It’s time Our Families became their own Nation. No Basketball ’till we get things resolved.