Danny Green On Dwight Howard: 'I Think He’ll Be With Us’
The spotlight is now on Dwight Howard.
It’s unclear if the Lakers backup center will enter the NBA bubble in Orlando to join the Lakers for the resumption of the season, but the deadline for players to make that decision is today. Avery Bradley opted out Tuesday.
Danny Green had a conversation with Howard recently and believes he’ll join the team in Orlando.
“I think he’ll be with us. If not, once again, he’s still our brother and we still support him,” Green said Tuesday on “Inside the Green Room.”
Green said that Howard, who has been quarantined with his five children at his home in Georgia, has been dealing with many things during the COVID-19 pandemic that the public is unaware of.
The mother of Howard's six-year-old son, Melissa Rios, died of an epileptic seizure on March 27, and Howard said on a conference call in May that it was extremely difficult to talk to his son about that loss.
In addition to family concerns, Howard was one of about 80 players on a conference call earlier this month organized by Kyrie Irving, in which players discussed whether they should participate in the continuation of the season at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex starting on July 30 amid widespread social unrest around racial injustices.
After that call, Howard was vocal about his concerns that basketball would distract from the fight against racism and police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death. In a statement to CNN, Howard said, "Basketball, or entertainment period, isn’t needed at this moment."
Green said he discussed that issue with Howard, and there will be many things influencing his impending decision.
“I talked to Dwight and there’s just some things that are bigger than basketball,” Green said on his podcast. “You never know what’s going on with guys’ families. Just hearing about the background of what Dwight is going through, I understood fully ... There’s more than just one scenario, more than one issue, more than one thing going on in his life besides the protests and with the loss of his baby’s mother. There’s a lot of other things going on behind the scenes that people don’t know about."
Howard has been a key contributor as a role player this season, averaging 7.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots in 19.2 minutes a game for the Lakers, who are atop the Western Conference with a record of 49-14.
Green said he told Howard that if he decides to opt out the season and not compete for his first championship, he'd support him.
"Obviously, we need you, man. We love you like a brother,” Green told Howard. "You’re family. We want you to be a part of this. Regardless of what your decision is, we know this is bigger than basketball and that there are things more important than actually doing this. If you need to be with your family, we support it, regardless."
In response, Green said Howard kept his options open.
"He’s like, ‘I’m all for it. I never said I wouldn’t play. There’s just a lot going on,’' Green recalled.
