Dwight Howard’s Left Leg Was ‘Dead’ Last Season

Dwight Howard’s troublesome back became such a problem last season, that at one point prior to surgery, he lost sensation in his left leg. From the LA Times: “Dwight Howard’s back was hurting last season. Badly. Then something else happened: He couldn’t feel his left leg. ‘What a lot of people don’t know is when I hurt my back, it affected my nerves to the point where my whole left leg just went dead basically,’ the Lakers center said. ‘I couldn’t do a calf raise.’ After undergoing surgery in April for a herniated disk, Howard said it took about two months before he could lift his calf off the ground. He was told he would recover fully in about five months but received solid feedback in August. ‘When I went to see the doctor right before I was traded, he said, ‘Most guys don’t recover as fast as you did, especially when it affects your nerve down your leg,’ Howard said. ‘It usually takes a year for your leg to regain strength.'”