Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard spoke on Wednesday about the difficulties of their long stay in the Orlando bubble.
Howard stated it is a mental challenge to feel trapped on campus without the presence of family or friends. He said “seeing the same walls every day” has taken its toll both on himself and a number of players.
"I try to stay positive with everything, but it is extremely difficult being in a location I can't get out, can't see family, friends. You're just in a hotel. That is very difficult, seeing the same walls every day."
Dwight Howard details the struggles of being in the NBA bubble pic.twitter.com/jrL8yO87GR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 16, 2020
Indeed, a number of Howard's NBA peers have echoed this sentiment.
Los Angeles Clippers swingman Paul George said when the playoffs began, he did not anticipate the stressors of being in the bubble:
“I underestimated mental health,” George said, via Mark Medina of USA Today. “I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Us being locked in here, I just wasn’t there. I just checked out.”
Howard's Lakers teammate, Danny Green, said George's words resonated with him and pointed out the tendency to scroll through social media only adds to the anxiety:
“I know exactly what Paul is going through,” the Lakers swingman shared, via Medina. “You have nothing to do but look at your phone and social media all day. All they are doing is bullying you. They are trying to get you to play well. So he was going through a rough stretch. I’m sure doors were closing in on him, and it was getting dark for him.”
But whereas George and Green remained engaged given their extensive minutes in these playoffs, Howard has had even more down time.
The veteran played a total of just over 15 minutes during the Lakers' Western Conference semifinal series against the Houston Rockets, with head coach Frank Vogel opting to go with smaller rotations to match Houston's pace.
Los Angeles is just one step from its first NBA Finals berth since 2010. However, Dwight Howard reiterated “bubble” life is anything but easy as the Lakers hope to leave Orlando with a championship.
Follow Us
Subscribe