Dwight Howard has just made a startling claim! He says the NBA pressured him to take down a “Free Palestine” tweet! This is a major accusation, raising serious questions about free speech and the league’s policies.
In a recent episode of “The Gauds Show”, Howard said that he was forced by the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and his agents to apologize for a 2014 tweet in support of Palestine. He stated,
“When you’re in the NBA, it’s a lot of things that you want to say, that you could say, but you know if you say it, there’s going to be repercussions. You can get in a lot of trouble. For instance, a couple of years ago when I was playing basketball for the Houston Rockets, I posted on my Twitter ‘Free Palestine.”
He even felt his career was at risk!
“And I got, I (almost) even got kicked out the league for it. And I’m like trying to figure out why, you know what I’m saying?”
He explained that he met some Palestinians in Houston who asked him to help raise awareness about their struggles. ‘Oh, so you know, me having a big heart, I’m like, ‘Yes.’ I’m like, ‘You know what? I want people to know … the struggles y’all having.’ Well, I don’t think it is wrong. So I tweet Free Palestine.”
The response from the NBA was immediate. Less than 10 minutes after the tweet, Howard received calls from Commissioner Silver, his agents, and his foundation team. I understand their message: “You need to take this down.” Howard quickly complied, deleting the tweet and issuing an apology. According to Vox,
He said,
“The previous tweet was a mistake. I have never commented on international politics and I’ll never do.”
He added,
“I apologize if you offended by my previous tweet, that was a mistake by me!”
Howard has criticized the NBA’s censorship, suggesting players are afraid to speak out on controversial topics for fear of jeopardizing their careers.
This is a significant story that raises important questions about free speech within professional sports. Howard’s career, marked by both incredible achievements (three-time Defensive Player of the Year) and controversies (being omitted from the NBA’s Top 75 list), now includes this revelation about the pressure players face to remain silent. This is a story that deserves attention.
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