Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard has been hoping for an NBA comeback for a few seasons but hasn’t been able to land on a team. The last time he played was for the Lakers during the 2021-22 season.
Howard is 39 now and likely nearing the end of his basketball career. With that in mind, he wants to play professional basketball for at least one more season. The former All-Star announced that he’ll be playing for Los Angeles Riot of the Big3.
The Big3 is a three-on-three league that was co-founded by Ice Cube. Notably, Howard will be coached by former Lakers guard Nick Young. Though the two never played together, they did play for a few of the same franchises.
Howard will be playing with former NBA guard Jordan Crawford and former USC forward. Elijah Stewart.
Howard Was Recently Named To Hall of Fame
This news comes shortly after it was revealed that Howard has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame just this year. The big man faded into a role player in his later years in the NBA but there was a time when he was one of the best players in the NBA.
He was the No. 1 pick of the Orlando Magic in 2004 and led the franchise to their second NBA Finals appearance in their history. He was also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and won a championship with the Lakers in 2019-20.
Howard was one of the last great pure centers in the NBA and though the game passed him by, his peak was as good as it gets for a big man.
Howard Talks Decision
Now that he’s in the Hall of Fame, Howard could’ve easily walked away from basketball for good. The Big3 isn’t going to require the same physical toll that an NBA season does but it’ll still be a lot of work.
He’s excited for the opportunity.
“I’m excited to join Ice Cube and the Big3 — especially right after being inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame,” Howard said in a statement. “Words can’t describe how grateful I am for these opportunities. I can’t wait to join the L.A. Riot and try to bring another championship to the city of L.A. But, the ultimate goal I have is to help the league go global.”
Ice Cube has consistently been trying to get big names to join the league and Howard is one of the more famous former NBA players he’s added. He thinks Howard is going to fit in well.
“He’s a perfect fit for the league, not just because of his athleticism and size but also due to our shared desire to grow the game of basketball around the world,” Ice Cube said. “We are honored that he has chosen to bring his game and star power to the Big3. I look forward to seeing him challenge our three-on-three stars this summer and see if he can win himself another championship.”
This will likely be his last season playing professional basketball.
