The Big Lead

NBA Hall of Famer Dwight Howard announces shocking final pro basketball home

By Sam Westmoreland

Apr 7, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Dwight Howard was just elected to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, but is ready to run it back one last time before he hangs up his sneakers for good.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Howard will play one last season of professional basketball as part of Ice Cube's Big 3 league. He'll join the Los Angeles Riot, coached by fellow former NBAer Nick Young.

This season will cap off what has been a stellar career for Howard. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic in 2004, he quickly established himself as one of the most dominant big men in the NBA.

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He spent eight seasons in Orlando, leading them to four straight 50-plus win seasons from 2007-08 through 2010-11, including an NBA Finals berth in 2008-09 where they lost in five games to the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers.

During his tenure with the Magic, he was the most dominant center in basketball, a force to be reckoned with on the interior capable of controlling a game almost singlehandedly.

Howard left Orlando after the 2011-12 season, traded to those same Lakers as part of a four-team blockbuster deal. Howard struggled with fitness and fitting into Los Angeles' offensive system under Mike D'Antoni. He lasted a singular season in LA, before leaving to join the Houston Rockets.

From that point on, Howard continued to be a productive player in the NBA, but he was hardly the force of nature he was earlier in his career. He struggled with injuries in Houston which limited his playing time, and when he left to join the Atlanta Hawks, it was clear he wasn't the player he'd been earlier in his career. From Atlanta, Howard pinged around the league, joining the Hornets, Wizards 76ers, and having two more stints with the Lakers before settling in Taiwan in 2022. He spent two seasons playing in Asia, but didn't play anywhere during 2024-25.

Now, Howard is back in basketball for one last ride, where he figures to be a star attraction as he takes his well-deserved curtain call and final bow in the Big 3.

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