Dwight Howard announced Thursday that he is retiring from basketball, closing a professional career that spanned two decades and included one NBA championship, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and eight All-Star selections.
The former No. 1 overall pick shared the news on Instagram on March 12, explaining that he is stepping away from the game to focus on family and community work.
“Woke up today on the 12th of this month and I figured it’s time to move on from Superman!” Howard wrote. “But now Im taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family and give back to communities worldwide.”
Howard also addressed speculation about his playing future, noting that he never formally stepped away from the sport until now.
“I know some of you might think I thought he already ‘retired’ but I didn’t… the game retired me!” he wrote. “I still had more left to give!”
The 6-foot-10 center entered the NBA in 2004 when the Orlando Magic selected him with the first pick directly out of high school. He quickly became one of the league’s most dominant interior players.
During his eight seasons in Orlando, Howard developed into the league’s premier defensive anchor and rebounder. He averaged more than 20 points and 13 rebounds in multiple seasons while leading the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals.
His peak years came between 2009 and 2011, when he won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. Over that stretch, he averaged at least 18 points and 13 rebounds per game while controlling the paint on both ends.
Howard later played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. His career included multiple All-NBA selections and five seasons leading the league in rebounds.
He returned to the Lakers during the 2019–20 season and played a key role as a defensive specialist and rebounder off the bench. Los Angeles went on to win the NBA championship that season, giving Howard the first title of his career.
Across 1,242 NBA games, Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 58.7 percent from the field. His dominance on the boards produced five rebounding titles and two seasons as the league’s blocks leader.
After his final NBA stint in 2021–22, Howard continued his career overseas with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan’s T1 League. He earned Most Valuable Import honors in 2023 while averaging strong numbers and leading the league in rebounding.
In his retirement message, Howard also announced plans to launch a monthly initiative called “D12 Day,” focused on giving back to communities around the world.
“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,” he wrote.
Howard finished his career as one of the most accomplished centers of his generation, combining elite rebounding, shot blocking and interior scoring during a run that defined the late 2000s NBA landscape.
