Robert Covington’s animal collection as varied as his on-court skills

The Clippers' new forward is comfortable already in L.A., even if he misses his dogs, snakes, fish, geckos and bearded dragons in Portland.

LOS ANGELES — There’s no question about all the ways Robert Covington is finding to contribute, and let Tyronn Lue count ’em: “Taking charges, deflections, rebounding, blocked shots, his size, he can catch and go and put the ball on the floor …”

But what does the new Clipper have more of – on-court attributes or animals?

Covington has three dogs – and big ones: two American Bullies XXL and a Cane Corso – as well as snakes named Max, Ellie and Eli. He’s got fish and geckos. And bearded dragons – “you ever watched the movie ‘Holes?’ They’re the lizards that scurry around.”

“I grew up watching Steve Irwin, that was my favorite person in the world, so I got into animals that way,” said Covington, the 31-year-old Illinois native who speaks softly and openly and sports round-rimmed spectacles off the court. “I just love animals since I was a kid.”

The 6-foot-7 forward with the 7-2 wingspan likes basketball pretty well, too.

Undrafted after playing four seasons at Tennessee State, Covington is in his ninth NBA season, and playing for his fifth team – one of them being the Houston Rockets, the Clippers’ opponent Sunday and Tuesday in Texas.

All those stops have developed Covington’s knack for finding ways to be helpful where teams most need him – and who doesn’t need a dogged defender and deflection artist?

Someone, as Terance Mann put it, “doing all the dirty work for us on the defensive end”?

“We needed it, and we got it,” Mann said, impressed with how fluidly Covington has meshed with his new teammates. “He’s a great addition, we’re glad to have him. A great locker room guy, as well, another guy who wants to see everybody win.”

It’s helped, Covington said, that this abrupt uprooting – it’s the fourth time he’s been traded midseason – hasn’t been as mentally taxing as the others, even if he misses his menagerie of pets.

Covington said they’re being well cared for by a handler in Portland, where he bought a home for the first time.

“So it’s not like I have to move out or anything or I’m on a deadline or anything,” said Covington, whom the Clippers acquired along with Norman Powell in a trade that sent Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round draft pick.

“I’m not on a timetable where I have to move everything. It’s no rush. I ain’t gotta worry about my lease or the clauses that I have within my rental agreement. Family’s comfortable, dogs are comfortable, so like I said, there’s no real rush there. Just figuring out next step for next year. The last few years, it’s like, boom! I gotta pick up and move, movers, and all that.

“Nah, I can take my time with all that now.”

And he can focus his energies on the court, where in eight games with the Clippers, they’ve outscored their opponents by 37 points in the 157 minutes he’s played – including by 19 points in the 20 minutes he played in the 105-102 victory over the Lakers.

RoCo – as he’s known throughout the NBA – was at his terrorizing best Friday, filling the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals.

He had consequential sequences such as the one that helped the Clippers build a 16-point lead in the second quarter, when he followed a steal and dunk with a block on Dwight Howard, a rebound and quick outlet pass. And, then, with a smooth 3-pointer over LeBron James that pushed the advantage to 49-33.

Covington also is proving a reliable option at center when the Clippers go small, checking in – at assistant coach Brian Shaw’s suggestion, Lue said – for 7-0 center Isaiah Hartenstein with 1:55 to go in the game and the Lakers leading, 100-97.

In the final minutes, Covington thwarted Russell Westbrook at the rim twice, got his hands on a couple of key rebounds and delivered passes to the right teammates. And he got himself involved in the game’s most controversial play when he intercepted James’ pass from beneath the basket – both men out of bounds, but James first, which returned possession to the Clippers.

“So, you have two Nicos,” Lue said, referencing the Clippers’ savvy and versatile veteran Nicolas Batum, who was effective in the post for much of the playoffs last year. “If you have that, that’s really, really good.”

Two Nicos, plus some dogs, some snakes, fish, geckos and dragons.

CLIPPERS (31-31) at ROCKETS (15-44)

When: Sunday, 4 p.m.

Where: Toyota Center, Houston

TV/Radio: Bally Sports SoCal / 570 AM

Timberwolves own @Holla_At_Rob33 with his snakes. Pretty dang cool @Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/2vu2ABYkhl

— Steph (@BxgNurse) January 20, 2020

Apparently Robert Covington is a fan of snakes?! #NBADLAlums pic.twitter.com/6BOIBYPQ0y

— Chris Reichert (@Chris_Reichert) February 20, 2015

THAT'S TUFF, ROCO!

@BallySportWest | @Holla_At_Rob33 pic.twitter.com/lkUKOYABJe

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) February 26, 2022