It’s always tough for anybody when they lose a loved one in a family. Most people would need time to grieve and really process what had happened and nobody would blame that person.
For Philadelphia 76ers big man Dwight Howard, he went through that process on Monday when he found out the news that a loved one in his family had passed away. The Sixers were set to play the Utah Jazz to finish up their road trip and the Sixers were expecting him not to play.
He ended up playing anyway and he was productive with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the loss in Utah. As the team returned home on Wednesday, he explained why he suited up and played despite the loss.
“It was very difficult to play,” Howard stated. “I had found out that morning and just tried to get up and move around, but I couldn’t. It just really hit me. I just tried to get myself ready to play. I didn’t know if I could play, but I know my teammates, they needed me just to be there and I needed them as well.”
Howard then revealed that it was his grandmother who passed away and that was tough on him. Being so busy during an NBA season, he could not even reach out to her to talk to her or see her before she passed and that was tough on him.
“I just tried to get my mind off of it for a second,” he added. “Despite the fact that my grandma was 97 when she passed away, she lived a very long life. I think that it was just hurting that I didn’t get a chance to talk to her before she passed, and that was probably the most hurtful part. I wanted to least see her, talk to her one more time before she died.”
Considering what he was going through at the time, nobody would have blamed Howard for sitting out. Losing somebody like a grandmother, or any family member really, is tough to really process and he could have decided not to play. Instead, he suited up and put his best foot forward.
“For me, just getting out there on the court, she would have wanted me to play,” he added. “She watched every game that she could and all I could think about was her. I was glad that I actually got out there and played I know the outcome wasn’t where we wanted it to be as a team, but I think for me, personally, it’s a great step. Dealing with something like that, usually, people will sit down and not play.”
It helps that the Sixers are such a supportive organization and they let Howard know that they have his back through all of this. It really helped him in Monday’s game even though the result was not what the team wanted.
“It meant a lot that this team and the coaches and the players and everyone has been so loving towards me,” he finished. “I just wanted to go out and play as hard as I could to just let them know that no matter what goes on in my life, I’ll always give them, give his team, and this organization all of me. I just appreciate them so much.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=aWz0oKB902-1159225-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json
[lawrence-related id=42546,42543,42514]