Former Wizards center Dwight Howard is not on board with the NBA’s return.
Howard said Saturday players should sit out the rest of the season in order to focus on social reform and keep the spotlight on police brutality. The Los Angeles Lakers big man took part in a players-only conference call Friday and was among the participants urging for his colleagues to rethink restarting the season in Orlando later this summer.
According to multiple reports, Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving was the most prominent voice on the call — saying he was willing to give up everything he had to fight racial injustice.
In a statement to CNN, Howard backed Irving’s stance — calling basketball “a distraction.”
Dwight Howard statement, provided by his agent, to CNN: pic.twitter.com/sk9uSSHlpp
— Jill Martin (@ByJillMartin) June 14, 2020
Around the country, a number of prominent players have taken part in the protests of George Floyd’s killing. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours from Boston to Atlanta to march, while league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and other Bucks players joined a local activist in downtown Milwaukee to protest racial injustice.
The NBA halted its season March 12 due to the coronavirus and recently unveiled a plan that calls for 22 teams to resume play in Orlando, Florida in late July.
A league spokesman told the New York Times that “We understand the players’ concerns and are working with the Players Association on finding the right balance to address them.”
“We understand the players’ concerns and are working with the Players Association on finding the right balance to address them.”
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 14, 2020
— NBA spokesman Mike Bass on worries players have raised about diverting attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement by resuming the season
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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