NBA fans often assume that players have it easy. That the generational wealth covers any day-to-day problems the average person may have. That playing a sport you love means your life is usually stuck on easy street.
What the NBA community often fails to recognize, however, is that this is a fallacy. That the life they think NBA players live isn't all that dissimilar to theirs when it comes to the organic problems that manifest themselves. Health concerns are universal. Heartache can look the same. And family issues are at the heart of many players' stories.
Take former Philadelphia 76ers wing defender Robert Covington, for example, who recently opened up about a custody battle he was having with his wife during a season with the Sixers. The now 35-year-old, who has since retired from the NBA, revealed the incredible lengths he went to see his one-year-old daughter.
"When I got traded, I hadn't seen my daughter for two weeks in October. I asked my family to come get her, my wife said that's too far, she wouldn't allow it because she's too scared, this is a long distance to travel which I understood. I'm stressed out, I can't see my child. We're in Philly and we're playing Charlotte the next day. We are back-to-back. I literally get a phone call saying she can come now, I'm not even focused on the game, I'm focused on how am I going to make this possible," he began.
"I said I gotta come get her before the game, I'm sitting there trying to figure out how I'm gonna get to my daughter. I hit the GM, I was like I don't know. He's like 'Man, listen, we gotta out there tomorrow just make sure you back after that game'. I flew from Charlotte at 11:00 p.m. East Coast time. Flew all with LA I landed here I landed here 2 a.m. Mind you this is after a back-to-back. Private jet was the only way. It was $70,000.00. I got there at 2:00 a.m. Got a hotel for a couple hours and then we're back on a flight at 11:00 a.m. We didn't make it back home to almost nine something at night, my daughter is exhausted the first few days. The the time is precious," Covington added.
It's a brave admission by the former defensive stopper. He didn't need to air his personal business publicly, but it's also an important lesson the NBA community could take to heart when analyzing players and their careers.
What Covington's words don't show you is that his daughter was just 1 year old at the time. To people, that level of pressure and travel on just a child is no small thing, and he did his best to navigate a difficult situation.
It goes to show that there can be far more serious situations on a player's mind outside of basketball. These are human beings with real lives, real struggles, and real family dynamics they need to attend to.
Of course, it helps when you have a generous general manager who would lend you his private jet to make it all possible, but the core of the obstacles remains the same. It's also an important lesson to give grace to these professional athletes. You never know what they are going through day to day, and we only get to see them for a couple of hours of playing time every night. We don't see the countless hours they spend away from the camera, away from their families, and what goes on behind the scenes in their personal lives.
Covnginton also went one step further in the interview, revealing that he and his wife, despite being separated and at odds, had to look past their struggles, put their pride aside and do what was best for their daughter.
"With my wife, I was trying to get her to like be reasonable like we don't need to spend all that it's money on lawyers when this can be going towards our daughter had a breakthrough and she was like you know what you're right but let me say that to you she said you're correct," he revealed.
Unfortunately, not every player can meet in the middle ground with their partners and ex-partners. We see reports every day about ball players falling out of their romantic relationships. We also see the fallout that follows. Nasty legal battles. Millions of dollars in child support. Continued payments to sustain the lifestyle that the child and mother now need. This isn't a one-sided situation either; there are always two sides to the story, and it also suggests that Covington's story is the exception rather than the rule.
It's not every day that two people in general can come together and find common ground for the betterment of something bigger than themselves. It's even less common when generational wealth is involved, and the rigors of professional sport make every aspect of the situation more complex.
Covington didn't go on to say whether he and his partner were in a good place now, or whether the arrangements remained civil. Still, in this particular situation, it was good to see the daughter's best interests as the priority and at the heart of all decision-making.
In five to 10 years, most fans may have forgotten about Covington and what he achieved in the league, but they shouldn't. For real basketball fans who followed the league religiously, they'll vouch for Covington being one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire league during his prime.
His offensive game never quite caught up, and he battled injuries as his career progressed, but there was a time when he was considered one of the best "3 & D" wings in the league. It's a shame that he isn't still suiting up for the Association, and the gifts he had could certainly help this iteration of the Sixers, but he can take some comfort in knowing he was part of "the process" that led them to this point.
The point is to have the best chance in modern history to bring a championship to the city of Brotherly Love. He might not be there now, but he helped set the foundation and the culture.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
