When the “bubble” games begin on July 30 at Walt Disney World, the Los Angeles Lakers believe center Dwight Howard will be there despite his recent comments that basketball isn't really needed right now. However, the purple and gold franchise is still unsure about veteran guard Avery Bradley's plans.
Via Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
There is a belief around the organization that Dwight Howard plans to play, while Avery Bradley’s plans are less clear, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Bradley and Howard were part of an 80-person call last Friday night. The two Lakers veterans voiced their opinion against resuming the 2019-20 season amid nationwide unrest and the fact that we are still living in a global pandemic.
One anonymous Lakers player told Dave McMenamin of ESPN that there was “no divide” within the team. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both eager to play games again. Both stars, though, are still going to bring awareness to the racial injustices in America.
The Lakers had the best record in the Western Conference before the season was suspended in March. With James and Davis leading the way, Los Angeles will be one of the favorites to win the 2020 title.
Both Howard and Bradley are in their first seasons with the Lakers, although this is Howard's second stint with L.A.