March 13, 2026
‘Now I’m taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family and give back to communities worldwide’
After recent drug allegations and a divorce filing, Hall of Famer Dwight Howard has ended his NBA career by announcing his retirement.
In a social media post, Howard, whose last NBA team was the Los Angeles Lakers (2021-2022), made it official by telling sports fans that he never retired; instead, the NBA retired him. So, now he is announcing that he is done. This takes place after his induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame, recognizing his career on the hardwood.
“Now, I’m 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 I’m 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.”
A video accompanied the announcement.
The man who used the moniker “Superman” was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Earlier in the year, he was also inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame for his contributions while with the Magic.
After being drafted by the Orlando Magic, Howard, during his nearly 20-year career in the NBA, played for the Lakers (3 times), the Houston Rockets, the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Washington Wizards, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
He also played in the Taiwanese basketball league, with the Taoyuan Leopards from 2022 to 2023. He recently played in the Ice Cube-helmed BIG3 league last summer.
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