Dwight Howard calls Louisville’s Kevin Ware to offer encouragement

Dwight Howard remembers the trauma of the broken leg he sustained after dunking in a game as a teenager.

So Howard had to call Kevin Ware after seeing the Louisville player’s gruesome injury in the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

“I know how it feels. When I broke my leg, everybody thought that my career was done when I was 15,” Howard said Friday. “Look where it got me. I’m pretty sure it’s going to push him to work even harder.”

Ware sustained a compound fracture of his right tibia in Louisville’s 85-63 victory over Duke. He had surgery Sunday night. Howard called him earlier this week.

“Steve [Nash] and Pau [Gasol] and the rest of the guys said hello to him also,” Howard said. “I’m happy that he’s out of surgery. He’s looking forward to getting back on the court. His spirits are pretty good.”

Howard and Ware were both raised in Atlanta. They played on the same youth team several years apart.

“Us Celtics stick together,” Howard said before quickly specifying something for Lakers fans. “That’s the Atlanta Celtics.”

Howard needed two screws in his left leg when he was hurt.

“When I finished, I was taller than when I started,” he said.

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