Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard admitted, earlier this week, that he was reported to the NBA Campus Hotline for not wearing a mask, something he says is pointless.
"It would be pointless for anyone to say anything. I understand being outside of it [the bubble], the mask is very important. So I won't say it's not needed. But since we're here in this bubble, I feel like we're safe," Howard said, according to USA Today.
"I think everyone is making a big deal out of it. I feel like we're in the safest place in Orlando. We're getting tested every day and are around each other," he added.
Howard's head coach with the Lakers, Frank Vogel, says players should be wearing masks: "[My] reaction is that we all should be wearing masks in and around the hotel lobby. And the areas that we're being asked to wear a mask, we should wear a mask. And he's doing so now."
There are no definitive penalties for violating mask protocol. Violations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
The Lakers first game back is against the Clippers on July 30. Howard is averaging 7.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks off the bench.
[Via]