Miami Heat player Juwan Howard not sure about his future – NBA Update
Juwan Howard will turn 40 next year and after winning his first NBA Championship with the Miami Heat last season, he was expected to hang up his boots after a tiring 18 year career.
However his desire to get in the gym still remains strong as Howard was the first player to report to practice after the title celebrations subsided a little bit. But even with a strong will, he remains uncertain about his future.
"I still have the itch," Howard. "I still have the passion and the love for the game. More importantly, I still like staying in shape and I can't sit on my behind. I'm still iffy as far as if I want to come back and play or not,
but I'll tell you one thing -- once I decide, I want to be ready. So I am working out ... ready for whatever happens."
Even though he is a free agent this summer, Howard has shown desire to continue his playing days in South Beach, representing a team which led him to his first ever NBA Championship. Howard has spent the past two seasons with
the Miami Heat taking the role of a bench player and fulfilling it a 100%. He made 85 appearances for Heat in the regular season while also played a significant part in the 20 playoff games.
In these past two years, Howard has played a key part in the Miami roster. He may have not been bestowed with many of the important tasks but he fulfilled his obligations to the team in the best way possible. His commitment and
work ethics have earned him high regard among the Miami roster.
The respect has been so high that during the NBA Finals against Oklahoma City Thunder, Dwyane Wade asked other team-mates to maintain a high lead so that Howard could get some playing time.
Everybody of the Heat roster considers Howard as a mentor of sorts and has the highest respect for him.
"I'm still smiling, every day. Walking around throughout the city, people of course are patting you on the back, they're so proud of this past season and our accomplishments.” He said.
The possibilty of any team landing Juwan in this free agency is however minimal, and it won't be a surprise if the player retires in the days to come.
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