After 18 NBA seasons, Germany White Howard is taking his game overseas.
The eight-time All-NBA center and three-time Defensive Player of the Year announced Monday that he is joining the Taiwan Taoyuan Leopards. Howard made the announcement in an Instagram video.
“Taiwan, this is Dwight Howard aka Superman,” Howard said. “So excited, can’t wait to play for the Taoyuan City Leopards.”
This video is from a video posted on Leopards’ Instagram page. The Leopards are one of the six teams in the Taiwan T1 League.
Howard last played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-22 season, his third time with his only winning team in the 2020 championship. He averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 60 games, including 27 starts.
Howard is still interested in playing in the NBA. He told Fox Sports’ Shannon Sharpe in October that he wanted to join the Golden State Warriors, where he envisions setting screens for Stephen Curry and coaching former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman.
“I would love to play Season 19 and get lead,” Howard said. “I’d love to do that. That would be awesome — and get the parade I deserve.”
This feeling is clearly not mutual with Golden State or any other NBA team, and Howard is still out of contract three weeks into the new season. Howard told Sharp in the same interview that he felt disrespected by the lack of interest in NBA teams and exclusion from the league’s 75th anniversary team.
“I really can’t believe how disrespectful I feel,” Howard told Sharp.
In his prime, Howard was a formidable scorer, a dominant rebounder and a defensive force. He will enter the Basketball Hall of Fame. But the game has moved outside the perimeter, away from bigs with Howard’s skills, a shift that began during Howard’s heyday.
The 36-year-old seems to have his days numbered in the NBA. At least for now. It’s still possible that teams that need help later in the season can call. But Howard didn’t wait any longer.
