Lakers’ Howard cleared for more practice, won’t play Wednesday
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Dwight Howard has been cleared for limited five-on-five scrimmages with the Los Angeles Lakers in his latest step back from offseason surgery.
Howard won’t play in the Lakers’ next preseason game Wednesday night against Portland in Ontario, Calif.
Howard was cleared Tuesday for limited participation in full-court scrimmages with contact. He had participated in every other aspect of the Lakers’ practices during training camp except full-court contact.
The six-time All-Star center had surgery on his back last spring.
Howard hasn’t projected a date for his Lakers debut, but is hopeful he can participate in a preseason game. After Wednesday’s visit from the Trail Blazers, the Lakers will have six more exhibitions before their season opener Oct. 30 against Dallas.
Davis’ rookie life on TV
NEW YORK — Top draft pick Anthony Davis and former No. 1 choices LeBron James and Dwight Howard are featured in a program detailing life as an NBA rookie.
Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Clippers teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and a number of other top players are included in “My Life as an NBA Rookie,” debuting Oct. 29 on Disney XD.
The program features footage of Davis’ time with the U.S. Olympic basketball team after the college player of the year from Kentucky was selected by the New Orleans Hornets. It also shows players going through the draft process and preparing for training camp, along with some of the entertaining duties veteran teammates require of them.
Davis was the first collegian to play with the U.S. Olympic team since Christian Laettner in 1992.
Heat arrive in China
MIAMI — The Miami Heat have landed in China.
After a flight that lasted more than 14 hours, the Heat arrived in Beijing on Monday night. The team will be in China for about a week, playing two preseason games against the Los Angeles Clippers before heading back home.
The Clippers also arrived in China on Monday.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says the trip halfway around the world could be a great bonding experience for his team, despite the obvious logistical challenges. Miami guard Mario Chalmers said on Twitter that he slept for 11 hours on the plane to Beijing, and feared that meant he wouldn’t be able to sleep on Monday night.
It’s the ninth time in China for NBA MVP LeBron James, who said the trip “should be fun.”
Top rookie has anxiety issue
HOUSTON — Royce White is practicing with the Houston Rockets after skipping the first week of training camp to work out a plan for his anxiety disorder.
White, the 16th overall pick in the draft, said Monday his first practice went “as good as it could go.” Houston coach Kevin McHale says White was noticeably behind in his conditioning and knowledge of the Rockets’ plays.
White has been open about his anxiety issues and fear of flying. The Rockets decided the Iowa State star was too good to pass up in the draft.
He has an arrangement with the team that will allow him to travel by bus to some games. McHale says White is “going to have a little bit of a different path in the NBA.”