The prospects of Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard’s injured shoulder healing during the season may be far-fetched, and surgery could knock him out for a considerable period.

“Six months,” Howard said on how long he’d be out following surgery. “I’d rather live with it than have six months out again. That’d be two summers in a row, so I don’t want that.”

Instead he hopes to play through the injury. As Howard describes it, the labrum in his right shoulder is intact but torn away from the bone.

For a true repair, Howard needs surgery. Instead he hopes that the Lakers’ training staff will help him manage the pain.

via Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times