Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Former Los Angeles Lakers big man and one-time NBA champion Dwight Howard no longer plays in the NBA. However, that hasn’t stopped him from continuing his basketball career overseas.
As it turns out, Howard won’t just be playing overseas now — he’ll also be a part-owner of the league he’ll be playing in.
The eight-time NBA All-Star took to social media to share and celebrate the exciting news. He’ll be playing for the Taiwan Mustangs while also having ownership roles with the team and league overall.
Howard first entered the world of professional basketball as a phenom coming out of Atlanta. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, and he quickly became a star. He earned 2004-05 All-Rookie honors after putting up 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in his debut season.
In his NBA career, he went on to lead the league in rebounding five times and was the NBA’s block champion twice. He made five All-Defensive teams, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
However, it wasn’t until long after the prime of his NBA career ended that he became a champion. He rejoined the Lakers prior to the 2019-20 season. That reunion came after a failed first stint with the Lakers in the 2012-13 season.
Due to the unfortunate nature of Howard’s first tenure with the team, some Lakers fans were apprehensive about his return to L.A. However, he ultimately became a fan favorite for the Lakers during that season.
In 69 games in the regular season, he did only put up 7.5 points and 7.3 boards per game. However, in the playoffs, he gave the team some very valuable minutes.
He appeared in 18 playoff games that season and started in seven. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game during that run. He played in every single game of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Miami Heat, starting five times. By the end of that series, Howard, like the rest of the Lakers roster, was named an NBA champion.
He returned to the Lakers one last time in the 2021-22 NBA season, playing in 60 games and starting in 27. That season proved to be the final season of Howard’s NBA career.
He’ll now continue his basketball career as much more than a player. Only time will tell if he looks to become part of the ownership world in other professional sports as well.