It appears that Los Angeles Lakers will have center Dwight Howard for the NBA season resume after all. In a recent appearance on CNN, Howard said that he’ll make the trip with the team to Orlando while pleading to donate his salary to charities.
Howard was one of the players who were vocal in their disagreement when the NBA first presented its plan to restart the season. The 34-year-old center openly questioned return to basketball in the midst of coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing battle and protests against social injustice, while hinting that he doesn’t want to play in 2019/20 anymore.
However, it appears that Howard changed his mind in the meantime.
“Yes, I will be joining my team in Orlando,” Howard said when asked about his participation in the NBA season resume.
However, Howard decided to donate all of his remaining salary, around $700K, to charity organization Breathe Again that he started back in 2015.
“I have a contractual obligation to my teammates, to my fans, the Lakers, the organization, and everyone, but at the same time, I also have an obligation to my family and to my community,” he added. “We will be getting a lot of work done here in Atlanta and around the nation as far as making sure people don’t forget about us and what’s going on in our communities.”
Having Dwight Howard in Orlando will make a big difference for Lakers, who are NBA title favorites this year. Howard was instrumental in the team’s success during the regular season, providing stability in the defense while contributing with 7.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
