Dwight Howard Says the Heat and Bobcats Targeted His Injured Shoulder

More than anything else, Dwight Howard’s injuries have been the main issue in the Los Angeles Lakers’ disastrous season. His latest, a torn labrum in his right shoulder, is also very much the focus of opponents according to Howard. Dwight says Charlotte Bobcats and Miami Heat defenders yanked on his arm the last two games. Per Yahoo! Sports: “On his first trip down the court, Dwight Howard felt Miami Heat players grabbing at his injured right arm. ‘They got me early,’ he said. ‘They would yank it back.’ Howard said the Bobcats did the same thing in Charlotte Friday night – even worse, in fact. ‘It’s like a jolt,’ he said. ‘Then it hurts the rest of the night.’ […] Howard says he’s trying to do everything he can on the court, but also adds: ‘I’m trying not to make [the injury] even worse.’ When asked how long doctors say it might be before the pain goes away, Howard sighed. ‘No timetable,’ he replied. […] After Sunday’s loss, which marked the end of a seven-game, 12-day Grammy induced road trip for the Lakers, Howard wondered how long the flight home would be. When teammate Earl Clark told him six hours, Howard groaned, and that was the end of their conversation. A circle of reporters then closed around Howard, who was asked twice about his place in the Lakers’ offense. ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ he said. Then he rested his chin in his hand.”