Dwight Howard Gets Caught Using Stickum

It's very rare I use the word "hate" in regards to sports figures. There are athletes I don't like and that I won't root for, but hate always seems like a very strong term. But there are those occasions I might use it. Dwight Howard is one of those athletes, I have used that word. I love watching him lose. I love watching all the stories come out that he and Harden (another guy I hate) want the other gone. Especially since they have two such high profile, high salary stars, and the team hovers around 500.

Over the weekend, in a game against the Atlanta Hawks, Howard used Stickum on his hands. Hawks forward, Paul Milsap got a hold of the ball and noticed something strange. It was the Stickum from Howard's hands.

This past Monday Howard said, ""I just think that it's getting overblown, like I'm doing something crazy. But again, I've never been a cheater, never been the type of player that has to do something illegal to win. It's upsetting, but I can't control it now."

There should be a major problem with this because the NBA states that using an adhesive substance is strictly prohibited. However, I didn't see any reference to adhesive substances being banned anywhere in the NBA rule book. If I missed it, please let me know. You can see the rule book here.

Howard admitted to using Stickum for years now on his hands. Now, if this is against the rules (according to the NBA) and Howard has been doing it for years, you'd think there would be a harsh, swift punishment, right? Nope, just a warning.

It's things like this that make it difficult to take the NBA seriously anymore. Add this on top of all the flopping and bad officiating, and the NBA has become a joke. The only reason I even stay interested in the NBA is because I grew up watching the Portland Trail Blazers, and I root for them. If not for them, I wouldn't give the NBA the time of day.