NBA News Update: LA Lakers' Dwight Howard discusses battle with depression in the bubble, Kyrie Irving says he wasn't dissing LeBron James

Dwight Howard hasn't always featured for LA Lakers during this postseason but made his presence felt when asked to deal with Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference Finals. Every other NBA news update in recent days has featured his redemption arc and understandably so. But the battle this time around wasn't just restricted to the physical melee on the court.

NBA players were only allowed to bring guests into the bubble only after the second round of the playoffs commenced. As such, the isolated environment has resulted in many players facing depression, including Howard.

NBA News Update: Dwight Howard explains how he dealt with depression while playing for LA Lakers in the bubble

Speaking ahead of the LA Lakers' second NBA Finals game against the Miami Heat, Dwight Howard explained just how difficult it is to stay in the bubble.

"For myself, there has been times where I was depressed about just having to be in the bubble, not being able to see my family, my kids,” Howard said. “So, it could be very difficult. So I just tried to find a way to escape mentally by doing a lot of reading, getting out and walking, talking to a lot of the people who work from the NBA who are here and experiencing the bubble as well."

Staying in the bubble without friends and family can take a toll on anyone's mental health, especially LA Lakers players who have been there for nearly three months now.

NBA News Update: Kyrie Irving says he wasn't taking a shot at LeBron James

Kyrie Irving isn't someone who minces his words. The six-time All-Star has given several bold statements in the past and made another comment on Kevin Durant's podcast which baffled fans worldwide.

Kyrie says he was the best option on every team he's played for. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/tfvRIjRmZY
— theScore (@theScore) October 1, 2020

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The above statement can be misconstrued as Kyrie throwing shade on his former teammate and current LA Lakers superstar LeBron James. However, Irving later released a video that it wasn't the case.

"Why must it always be brother against brother? Why? If I'm addressing anyone, I'll say their name. Don't listen to false narratives...because we live in clickbait society, it becomes something bigger."