January 3, 2024
Report: Former NBA Star Dwight Howard To Sign With Philippines Basketball Team
Dwight Howard's next basketball opportunity will be abroad.
Dwight Howard is continuing his basketball comeback. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports Howard, who played in Taiwan last year, is likely to play basketball with a team in the Philippines.
“In the midst of pursuing an NBA comeback, Dwight Howard plans to sign a deal to play for the Philippines team, Strong Group, in the two-week Dubai International Basketball Championship, in January, sources tell me,” said Charania.
Howard, the first pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic out of high school, spent 18 years in the NBA with seven teams, including the Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Howard is an eight-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA player, five-time All-NBA Defensive team member, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time blocks leader. He won his only NBA title in 2020 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 6’10” big man has played in 1,242 regular season games, averaging 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
In his last season, his third stint with the Lakers, Howard was an effective backup, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds a game.
If he signed with an NBA team, Howard wouldn’t be the only 38-year-old center roaming the paint. Taj Gibson recently signed a contract with the New York Knicks after center Mitchell Robinson hurt his foot, which could cause him to miss the rest of the season.
Some say part of the reason Howard is on the outside looking in is the youth movement in the NBA has taken over, especially in the Western Conference. Young teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves (led by Anthony Edwards) and Oklahoma City Thunder (led by rookie Chet Holmgren), sit atop the standings while James’ Lakers are tenth in the conference with a 17-17 record.
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