Dwight Howard Makes Big Annoucement About His Future
BREAKING: Hall of Famer Dwight Howard — for the second time — has announced that he has retired from the game of basketball after 20 professional seasons. Howard, 40, last played in the ‘BIG3’ & in the country of Georgia. He also retired in March 2026, but, he kept playing. Howard in March: “Woke up today on the 12th of this month and I figured it’s time to move on from Superman! Im no super human… I cry ! I struggle! I feel like everyone else. Through the lies, the media and the hate I still show love and Smile Through The Storm. But now Im taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family and give back to communities worldwide. I know some of you might think I thought he already “retired” but I didn’t… the game retired me! I still had more left to give ! Yeah I did play professionally for 20 years and Im grateful to be able to say that but I can’t lie seeing these other players still going at it at age 40 inspired me to want to keep trying but now I believe my duty will be to pass it down to the next generation . So Thank you to all my fans and supporters throughout this journey I love and appreciate yall dearly because without yall it would be no me! Also thank you to the Naysayers, the haters, the snakes, and people that came into my life to try to destroy me. Because everytime yall did …it only made me stronger. When my documentary releases this year the world will know the truth about EVERYTHING! Then you will see how the sheltered little boy from college park Georgia who went to the same school from pre-k to 12th grade then straight to the NBA was taken advantage of by the world. But through it all still managed to keep SMILING 🙏🏾😁 & Since I didn’t get a chance to ever have a farewell tour I decided to create a tour not for fans to appreciate me but for me to appreciate them for supporting me all these years and giving me a reason to smile doing what I love Every 12th of the month from now on will be D12 day where I visit cities all over the world and do acts of kindness for random to people to give them a reason to Smile 😊 Let me know where yall want to see me give back ⬇️” Happy retirement, Dwight! ❤️🏆 WATCH: https://t.co/M7WUo7JOra
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) October 19, 2026
Howard, 40, said he was retiring back in March of this year, but he kept playing in the Big 3, and then went to Europe where he played with Black Fortress Tbilisi in Georgia. He only stuck it out for two games there, however.
That wasn't his first foray out of North America, however. The eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year has also played in Taiwan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Mongolia.
Howard's latest retirement announcement sees him taking shots at his so-called "haters" and "snakes" who, he said, "tried to destroy me."
Howard was First Team All-NBA five times in addition to the multiple DPOY honors. In 18 NBA seasons, he averaged 15.7 points per game and 11.8 boards with 1.8 blocked shots per game. He led the league in rebounding five times, and in blocks twice.
The self-named 'Superman' was also an 'Iron Man' early in his career, playing a full 82 games in five of his first six NBA seasons, and missed only three games total over that time. He finally got his one championship ring in 2020, with the LA Lakers in the Bubble.