By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard will join his team for the resumption of the NBA season in Orlando, Florida, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The veteran big man will donate his remaining salaries to his non-profit campaign “Breathe Again.”
“My NBA salary and platform while in the bubble will be used to ignite a breath of fresh air into the community,” Howard said in a statement made to Charania. “Whether basketball and/or community, I am prepared to go the distance for the Win!!”
Howard previously questioned if playing basketball again is necessary, in light of the protests against social and racial injustice following the murder of George Floyd. “I would love nothing more than to win my very first NBA championship. But the unity of My People would be an even bigger Championship, that’s just too beautiful to pass up. What better time than now for us to be focusing on our families,” the eight-time All-Star had mentioned in a statement made on mid-June. “No basketball till we get things resolved,” was the statement’s closing sentence.
The NBA restart may give Howard the opportunity to return to the finals for the first time since 2009 when he played with the Orlando Magic. Orlando was then beaten 4-1 by the Los Angeles Lakers.