Stephen A. Smith believes NBA teams knew of the sexual assault and battery allegations and a pending lawsuit against Dwight Howard and that’s why he isn’t on NBA roster right now.
Howard instead now plays in the Taiwanese pro basketball league.
“Let me tell you what came to my mind when I thought about this: That’s why teams didn’t want him,” Smith said Wednesday on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“Now, whether they’re going to admit it or not and I’m not going to mention teams, because I don’t want to incriminate anybody or accuse anybody of something I simply don’t know, I’m guessing. What I’m saying is that’s the first thought that came to my mind, that’s why they don’t want him.
“Because what do I constantly try to educate y’all about as somebody that’s been a reporter for 30 years – we always know more than we reveal.”
Smith could have a point.
Rumors and non-public information can be circulated when teams are considering signings, and teams may have known about this bombshell lawsuit before it was reported earlier this week.
However, Howard last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season with the Lakers and averaged career-lows in points (6.2) and rebounds (5.9) per game.
It’s possible the year off, plus the decline in production, may have scared away teams from signing the 37-year-old.
Howard did work out with the Warriors this offseason, though nothing came of it.
But it’s certainly plausible that teams knew of the allegations and wanted nothing to do with Howard, who was once one of the league’s most-dominant players.
Smith detailed some of the provocative accusations in the lawsuit during his rant.
Howard denied the allegations that stem from a July 2021 encounter with a man at Howard’s Georgia residence.
His attorney, Justin Bailey, told ESPN that a “private consensual encounter was made public for profit.”
“Despite being an easy target due to the subject matter and his status as a celebrity, Mr. Howard chose to trust in the justice system and will rely on all future court filings to speak for themselves.”