Dwight Howard Does Not Seem Like a Good NBA Bubble Resident

The NBA's bubble experiment is entering its second week as the July 30 restart date fast approaches. And so far, so good. There hasn't been a mass outbreak, players seem to be enjoying themselves well enough, and the food situation improved once quarantine was lifted. Only one player left campus without permission, and it was to get takeout. The sailing is smooth in the early stages of the four-month plan.

Dwight Howard has been mostly spending his time broadcasting what he's up to via his Instagram Live, including a decent impersonation of Shannon Sharpe. While doing so over the weekend, he was asked if he believed in the power of vaccines. He said no.

This comes around the same time that Howard poked fun at the "snitch hotline" because someone called and said he wasn't wearing his mask. He also apparently said he didn't know "that the coronavirus be flying through the air looking for people." Which is kind of exactly what diseases do.

I wouldn't be super stoked about that attitude if I were stuck in Orlando with Howard for at least the next few weeks, if not longer. Whether or not Howard believes in the power of masks won't compromise the bubble, but Howard testing positive and not donning a mask could result in a much bigger outbreak than if he had simply worn that simple piece of fabric. It's Howard's prerogative to ignore the science behind vaccines, but given his view on masks, it appears indicative of a larger viewpoint that can be dangerous to his fellow players. If Howard doesn't recognize the threat that a global pandemic poses, who knows how far consequences could extend?

Howard hasn't exactly been shy about it, either. All you need to do is search "Dwight Howard" on the Twitter videos tab and you'll find a dozen clips of the Los Angeles Lakers center goofing around in Orlando without a mask on. I doubt the NBA needed someone to dial their hotline to realize Howard isn't really taking that particular guideline seriously. Frank Vogel did not have much to say when asked about his player.