After his outspoken derision of the NBA mask guidelines at Disney World led to a league warning, Dwight Howard wonders why players should wear a mask in the so-called bubble.
The Los Angeles Lakers support center expressed annoyance with the NBA mask guidelines while speaking to reporters remotely on Saturday.
From USA Today:
“Personally, I don’t see the risk that we will have it during the time period we are here,” Howard said. “We are not allowed out of the bubble. We just surround ourselves every day. I feel like it would be useless for someone to say something.
“I understand that outside of this bubble, wearing a mask in different places is very important. So I wouldn’t say it’s not necessary. But since we are here in this bubble and we are the only ones here, and the staff and everyone is tested every day, I feel like we’re safe. “
So basically, Howard argues that the nature of a bubble, in which exposure to the coronavirus is theoretically cut, makes it unnecessary to wear a mask.
However, opening a hole in that theory is the fact that the NBA’s Disney World setting isn’t really a bubble. While NBA players, coaches, and other staff can’t leave campus, Disney World employees serve their food and clean up after they aren’t.
And when those employees are not working, many of them live in some of the worst coronavirus hotspots not only in the country, but in the world.
Masks are one of the measures the NBA enacted to mitigate the risk of employees exposing the league to the virus, so a player who publicly claims that they shouldn’t have to wear a mask appears to be a problem. Especially when one of those players posts videos of himself interacting with those employees without wearing a mask.
Dwight is alone at the Coronado Springs pool party … but they hit it with a slush “Cancun Colada” pic.twitter.com/MBYaoyK37k
– NBA Bubble Life (@NBABubbleLife) July 12, 2020
While Howard believes there is no risk of contracting the virus, some of his peers disagree. New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram said he is “not quite sure” that the NBA experiment will work and that Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard doubted that players would adhere to NBA rules. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is one of those who believes Disney World is even safer than the rest of the world.
Howard reportedly downplayed concerns about him not wearing a mask by arguing that the speech detracts from the conversation on more serious topics, such as the murder of Breonna Taylor. None of the three Louisville police officers involved in the civilian and untouched raid that ended in Taylor’s death have been charged.
From USA Today:
“They are still free. They are out there living their best life, ”said Howard. “Instead of worrying about whether I have my mask on or not, that’s something we should discuss. Why haven’t these people been brought in? Why have they not been charged for anything or even arrested for what they have done?
It really feels like a way Howard could get people to focus on Taylor’s murder instead of his refusal to wear a mask is to just wear a mask.
Dwight Howard does not want to wear a mask. (AP Photo / David Zalubowski, File)
