Dwight Howard told CNN on Monday evening that he will play for the Lakers when the season resumes near Orlando on July 30.
“Yes, I will be joining my team in Orlando,” Howard told CNN. “But during that time we will be getting a lot of work done here in Atlanta and around the nation as far as making sure people don’t forget about us and what’s going on.”
He added that he will donate all of the paychecks he receives in the bubble to the charity Breathe Again.
Whether or not Howard would return to the court was uncertain until his remarks. Last month he said that that basketball would distract from the fight for racial equality.
But the Lakers were hopeful that Howard would play.
“We don’t have any intention of replacing Dwight’s roster spot,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said July 1.
Howard, an eight-time All-Star, will be competing for his first NBA championship. The 16-time champion Lakers haven’t won a title since 2010.
Information from CNN.com and SI.com contributed to this report.
