By now, everyone who watches the NBA is aware of the altercation that went down between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart just a few days ago. Both players were suspended for their respective actions, and it was an event that sent shockwaves throughout the NBA. For some, it wasn’t such a big deal, however, to others, it was the biggest thing that could have ever happened. It was an excuse to push narratives, with guys like Skip Bayless doing the absolute most in retaliation.
While speaking to GQ about the altercation, Dwight Howard took a level-headed approach. Howard noted that had the same thing happened to him, he would have gone after the perpetrator as well. While he understands that Stewart was doing a lot given the circumstances, he also acknowledges that you can’t tell someone how to feel, especially when someone makes them bleed.
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“Tempers can flare in the NBA,” Howard said while speaking to Tyler R. Tynes of GQ. “The young fella got hit in the mouth and started bleeding. In his defense, you gotta stand up for yourself. Now, was it the right time and place to do that? No. But you can’t tell somebody how to react in a moment like that. […] Now, he also did a lot. He was enraged and upset. I can’t say what he did was right, but I do understand it. Somebody hit me in my mouth and made me bleed? I’d be pissed off too. A little pride and ego probably kicked in too: you in front of 20,000 people, you bleeding from ya lip and ya eye, you don’t ever want to look like that. I get most of why his reaction was the way it was.”
This is one of those situations that will probably be forgotten in a week’s time, however, there is no denying that this ended up occupying a significant portion of the news cycle for a few days. In today’s age of lightning-fast news cycles, that feat is quite impressive.
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