The voices of NBA players who are resistant to the idea of sending 22 teams to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to resume and conclude the 2019-20 season, have gotten louder and more specific in recent days. And the latest person to voice their skepticism with the idea of the league’s return is none other than Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard.
Howard released a strong statement to CNN late on Saturday night, where he said that he agrees with Nets guard Kyrie Irving that having the NBA come back would be too much of a distraction from the current issues that are being protested on in the streets of cities all across the nation.
Dwight Howard says basketball "isn't needed at this moment." pic.twitter.com/Mh4GnH4j04
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 14, 2020
Howard, as well as his Lakers teammate Avery Bradley, were both on the call organized by Irving on Friday night where nearly 100 players discussed the merits of returning to play and their concerns about racial injustice in the United States, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the resistance of Howard and Bradley cuts against the perception that players on contending teams are aligned in their hopes to finish the season. Howard has also been dealing with personal tragedy as well, during the NBA hiatus. Howard lost the mother of his 6-year old son, Melissa Rios, to an epileptic seizure in May.
While the NBA is setting dates for workouts and laying out guidelines for a return to play, there is a significant chance that Howard, and other players from to teams, may choose not to play under the current conditions.
[lawrence-related id=31625,31617]