Howard among players who previously expressed concerns about restarting season amid nationwide protests
Friday 19 June 2020 07:22, UK
The Los Angeles Lakers expect back-up center Dwight Howard to join them in Orlando when the 2019-20 NBA season resumes, according to reports.
Howard and team-mate Avery Bradley joined Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving in expressing concerns about resuming the NBA season amid nationwide protests over racism and police brutality against African-Americans in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
However, according to a report in the LA Times, the Lakers believe Howard will participate when the NBA returns to action on July 30 at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida.
Howard has spoken openly about his belief that basketball could be a distraction from the Black Lives Matter protests calling for social justice, but stopped short of declaring that he would go as far as to sit out games.
"Basketball, or entertainment period, isn't needed at this moment, and will only be a distraction," Howard said in a recent CNN interview. "Sure it might not distract us the players, but we have resources at hand a majority of our community don't have. And the smallest distraction for them can start a trickle-down effect that may never stop."
On Wednesday, Howard issued a statement in which he clarified his concerns over the NBA resumption, saying: "Our main objective is to raise awareness and gain transparency on the things that concern us collectively. Many of our fellow players are afraid to voice their concerns and are continuing to follow along with what they believe they have to do.
"If any one of us chooses to sit, it has nothing to do with another player's right to play. Not once has any one of us told one of our fellow brethren not to go to the Orlando Bubble Experiment and we stressed that in our meetings."
With training camps in Orlando due to commence on July 9, Howard will have to make a final decision at some point in the near future.
