Robert Covington had a serious impact on Houston, after the Rockets acquired him via a trade in February to become the team’s new rim-protector. While it’s tough for Covington to be away from the game, the Rockets “wing” is looking at the bright side of the situation.
“I still look at it as something we can all learn from,” Covington told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “You take a shift in your mind. Like yeah, things are slowing down, but now I can spend time with my family. I can spend time with my friends, people that I really don’t get the opportunity to be around because I travel a lot. There’s stuff I don’t normally get to be a part of.
Me and my brothers, we only get to spend time with each other when I come to Chicago. They’re both in school. For me to be able to spend time with my brothers and see them growing up and just get to hang out with them, it’s something I always enjoy. You miss out on things. Now, you get to see parts of life.”
Despite the lockdown, the former Minnesota Timberwolves forward also hones his basketball skills, staying ready for a possible season return.
“I’m making the best of it. I’ve seen improvement in a lot of areas. I’ve got a lot of shots up. I’ve been working on my ballhandling. I’ve been working on my change of direction, my footspeed. I’ve always been working with my rehab people, just to keep my body loose and fluid,” Covington said, per the Houston Chronicle.
Covington played 14 games in Houston before the NBA issued a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic in March. On those 14 games, the ex-Sixers forward became the most efficient rim-protector of his team, averaging 2.5 blocks along with 12.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
