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United States. Veteran center Dwight Howard officially announced his retirement from professional basketball after an outstanding 18-season career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), ending a career full of achievements and recognitions.
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Howard, known during his career by the nickname "Superman," made his decision public through his social media, where he expressed that it's time to "take off the cape" and close his stage as a professional player. The 40-year-old center was selected eight times for the NBA All-Star Game, in addition to being part of the All-NBA teams on eight occasions, including five selections to the First Team. He was also recognized three times as the Defensive Player of the Year, solidifying himself as one of the best defenders of his generation. Throughout his career, Howard played for teams such as the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. One of the highlights of his career came in 2020, when he won the NBA championship with the "Los Angeles Lakers". In addition, in 2009 he led the "Orlando Magic" to the NBA Finals. The center was selected as the first pick of the 2004 NBA Draft after coming straight out of high school Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, starting a career that led him to become a five-time league rebounding leader and two-time blocks leader. During his career in the NBA he accumulated 19,485 points, 14,627 rebounds and 2,228 blocks, with averages of 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Howard played his last NBA game in 2022. He later played in Taiwan's T1 league with the "Taoyuan Leopards" and later participated in the "BIG3 basketball league", before announcing his final retirement. In 2025, the center was immortalized in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizing his impact on professional basketball. "Now I take off my cape and retire from basketball to dedicate more time to my family and give back to communities around the world," Howard expressed in his farewell message.
