Some bad news dropped on the Rockets' laps Wednesday, and it's not even regarding yet another loss.
The Houston Chonicle reported in Thursday's edition that Juwan Howard will not come back this season at all, regular season or playoffs.
According to Chronicle writer Jonathan Feigen, Howard suffered a viral infection in his heart and he won't be able to do any strenous activity for 4-6 months.
This is a shock since it's unrelated to the knee injury that Howard suffered on March 14th and was expected to return later this month.
The Rockets were counting on Juwan's rebounding and mid-range jumper to return for the playoffs, so this is a big blow. Clarence Weatherspoon and Scott Padgett have not provided the same lift.
In response to the article, Howard released a statement through the team late Thursday afternoon:
"I have been working very hard the past three weeks to rehabilitate my right knee in order to make a return to the team in time for the playoffs this season. While the knee is responding well to the treatment, I will not be able to rejoin the team this season due to an unrelated viral infection identified as viral myocarditis. This condition caused some irregularities to my heart rhythm, which have subsequently subsided and returned to normal. However, this will prevent me from participating in conditioning workouts and games for the next few months. On the advice of my doctors, I will take a conservative approach for resuming my regular training regimen in order to ensure a full recovery so that I can be ready for the start of next season. My physicians have reassured me that there should be no long-term consequences.
Obviously, this has been a very difficult and frustrating time for my family and me. We would very much appreciate your help in respecting our privacy regarding this matter as we move forward."
