Newly-signed Philadelphia 76ers backup center Dwight Howard has once again found himself in the headlines for a bizarre reason.
According to a lawsuit filed by Armica Nabaa and Kamisha Shelman, the two women were hired by Howard back in late 2018 to handle various management services.
When initial conversations took place, the women came away with the impression that their role would be to focus on business and administrative duties. However, per TMZ Sports, Howard ended up firing his groundskeeper, butler and maid and subsequently pushed some of the responsibilities they previously had onto the women’s plates.
Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that Howard forced the women to tend to his exotic snake collection. Among the massive collection was a giant constrictor that “can grow to a final length of 25 feet and over 200 pounds.”
In early 2020, the women claim that Howard fired them without notice and refused to pay them for services rendered.
Nabaa also alleged that she utilized her “network and contacts to connect Mr. Howard with individuals that resulted in his lucrative and unexpected contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.”
According to her, Howard expressed his gratitude and gave her partial credit for helping land the Lakers contract during a national TV interview.
The women are demanding $50,000 in unpaid wages, among other expenses.
Yikes Klay. https://t.co/xh2s7olPJs
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 12, 2020
This is not the first messy situation Howard has found himself in since winning his first career title with the Lakers a few months back.
This past week, Howard got very honest about what his stint with the Lakers taught him.
“Before the season started with the Lakers last year, I just promised myself that whatever I had to do for the team, I’ll be willing to do and I know that there’s always been a perception about who people think I am and my character on and off the floor,” he said.
Yikes. https://t.co/FPN0pOZYH6
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 8, 2020
“I just wanted to change that perception and allow my true authentic self to flow and show every single day. By sacrificing all of the things that I would necessarily want for myself as a player, any player would want to play big minutes, any player would want to have a big role on a team and be able to score and all that stuff, but for our team to be successful, I just needed to be Dwight.
“Realize that I’m more than enough. I don’t need to score 30 points to help our team win. I don’t have to be on the court all the time to help our team win. It’s just a mindset that I had to change and it really helped me, it helped our team, and I’m glad that I was able to not allow my past to affect my future.”
Will we see a more mature version of Howard going forward? Time will tell.
Related: Coach Who Punched 9-Year-Old Now Paying Ultimate Price
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
