WASHINGTON (AP) Dwight Howard joked Monday about the sore back that's expected to keep him out for the start of training camp with the Washington Wizards.

Coach Scott Brooks downplayed the significance of the injury, too. Still, it's not ideal that the team needs to put off incorporating its one offseason addition to the starting lineup.

"I've been having to do a lot of traveling with shoe companies and stuff like that in China. So just from training, traveling - and airplanes weren't made for tall people. ... It kind of sucks to fly 15 hours curled up in the fetal position," said Howard, a 6-foot-11 center entering his 15th NBA season.