Dwight Howard missed three games with a shoulder injury. During those three games he received criticism from every media outlet and even his own teammate, including star Kobe Bryant. Statements of Howard being soft, not knowing how to play through pain and letting down his team were all tossed around. Howard is fed up with it and he is letting everyone know it.
Howard is tired of people trying to assess the severity of a torn labrum in his right shoulder that was aggravated in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers had just begun a crucial seven-game road trip that was going to play a key factor in determining the outcome of their struggling season.
Kobe Bryant publicly challenged Howard to return to the court and play through the pain. He said the team did not have time for Howard's injury to fully heal. They needed urgency and that included Howard coming back sooner rather than later.
"I want to play. I mean, why wouldn't I want to play? But at the same time, this is my career, this is my future, this is my life. I can't leave that up to anybody else because nobody else is going to take care of me. So, if people are pissed off that I don't play of it I do play, whatever it may be, so what? This is my career," Howard said in response to the criticism.
Bryant's comments on Howard were spurred after center Paul Gasol was announced to be out four to six weeks with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. But, Howard is not concerned with Kobe's concerns or medical opinion.
"That's his opinion, that's it. He's not a doctor, I'm not a doctor. That's his opinion," Howard said.
Bryant is not the only one voicing concern of Howard and the shoulder injury that just will not go away. Steve Nash recognizes that Howard will probably have to play whether he is at full strength or not.
"I think everyone has got to play through some pain in this league and I'm not sure where Dwight exactly is with his injury, but hopefully he's ready to come back soon. I think it's inevitable he's going to feel some discomfort and pain," Nash said.
This is not the first prolonged injury Howard has had. A back injury hampered most of his last season with the Orlando Magic. Howard believes he mishandled that injury, allowing it get worse and requiring surgery. That experience is shaping how he handles his shoulder injury. He believes he tried too hard to play through the pain with his back, trying to prove to people he was tough and in return he caused it to get worse. He thinks with his style of play, the same thing could eventually happen to his shoulder.
"The post is not an easy position. You're pushing guys who weigh 260-270 pounds and you have to use a lot of force to do that. If I play tonight, we'll see how I feel later on. If I don't, we'll just have to move forward," Howard said to media in a pregame shoot around.
Howard did play in the Lakers' game against the Celtics Thursday night. He started for the team, earning nine points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 28 minutes left. The Lakers lost 116-95.
