Dwight Howard’s 'Free Palestine' Tweet: A Decade Later

Dwight Howard, the NBA superstar, recently opened up about a twist in his career from a decade ago. He claimed that NBA commissioner Adam Silver reached out to him shortly after he tweeted "Free Palestine" in 2014. The tweet was posted during a time of conflict between Israel and Hamas. At that time, Howard was playing for the Houston Rockets. According to Howard, the conversation with the commissioner was swift. He recalled being advised to remove the tweet and the potential repercussions if he didn’t. The message came from several sources, including agents and associates involved with his charitable work. Stunned, Howard wondered what he had done wrong. "I almost got kicked out of the league for tweeting that, " he revealed on a recent podcast. Howard added that he was approached by Palestinian fans who asked him to bring awareness to their situation. Feeling empathetic, he decided to highlight their struggles. However, the reaction he received caught him off guard. Howard mentioned the challenges of speaking up in the NBA, where he felt pressure to remain silent on certain issues for fear of losing his job. Balancing his desire to raise awareness and the need to protect his career was tough, he said. Despite the controversy, Howard had a successful career. He played 18 seasons in the NBA, averaging 15. 7 points, 11. 8 rebounds, and 1. 8 blocks per game. He won NBA Defensive Player of the Year three times and was part of the Lakers' championship team in 2020. The NBA, through a spokesperson, has denied Howard’s claim, labeling it "categorically false. "