Dwight Howard, an eight-time NBA All-Star who entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004, announced his retirement from professional basketball on Thursday.
Howard, 40, ends an 18-season NBA career that included stops with eight franchises and a championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, the 6-10 center most recently suited up in Taiwan, Puerto Rico, and the BIG3 after last appearing in the NBA during the 2021-22 campaign.
Dominant run in Orlando
The Atlanta native became Orlando’s starting center immediately after the draft and spent eight seasons with the Magic. From 2008 through 2011 he finished in the top five of MVP voting four straight years, captured three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, and led the club to six straight playoff berths, highlighted by a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals.
Journeyman decade, first title
Between 2012 and 2022, Howard played for the Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, and 76ers, logging three separate stints in Los Angeles. His lone NBA championship came in the 2020 bubble season with the Lakers.
Career résumé
Howard received eight straight All-Star selections and earned eight All-NBA honors—five on the First Team—from 2006 to 2014. He also made five All-Defensive teams, four of them First Team nods from 2009-12.
He led the league in rebounding five times and in blocked shots twice, finishing 10th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list and 13th in blocks. Internationally, he collected an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Across 1,242 regular-season appearances, including 1,078 starts, Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 0.9 steals while shooting 58.7 percent from the field in 31.8 minutes per game.
Source: Hoops Rumors
