Speaking about the true severity of his injury for the first time, Howard, who underwent back surgery to fix a herniated disk in April, revealed that his entire left leg went numb while in Orlando, according to the Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan.
"What a lot of people don't know is when I hurt my back, it affected my nerves to the point where my whole left leg just went dead basically," said Howard. "I couldn't do a calf raise."
While Bresnahan noted that some leg numbness is to be expected when players suffer herniated disks, it also reportedly took Super—er...Iron Man two months to lift his calf after having surgery.
Considering the nature of back injuries and the how it seems that every week more revelations come out about the severity of Howard's condition, the Lakers continue to prove their shrewdness by handling this situation carefully.
Though it's certain that the team wants Howard in the lineup on Oct. 30 when it takes on the Dallas Mavericks, the more pressing desire is to have the center healthy in May and June. This was not a team constructed for lavish ceremony on opening night, but is one that could be an unstoppable cyborg headed straight for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
With Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, the team has two Hall of Fame guards both with an insatiable appetite for a championship (albeit for slightly different reasons). And with Howard and Pau Gasol forming perhaps the most versatile duo of big men in the league, every team in the league will have difficulty finding defensive matchups.
However, the Lakers' acquisition of Howard was a move with implications that stretch far beyond the 2012-13 NBA season. Though this nucleus has just a one- or two-yea...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
