Dwight Howard is a former NBA star who just expanded his footprint into Taiwan. In April this year, he pledged to support Taiwan following a major earthquake and aftershocks, promising to return to the island to assist.
Howard, who signed with Taiwan’s Taoquan Leopards in 2022, expressed his solidarity with the Taiwanese people in a video message. Howard averaged over 23 points per game with the Taoquan Leopards in Taiwan’s T1 League, and quickly gained popularity and accolades, including All-Star recognition and MVP honors.
Despite his success, the former NBA star signed with Mets de Guaynabo, a professional basketball team based in Puerto Rico.
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Today, he is set to return to Taiwan as he has become a part owner of a Taiwanese basketball league as well as one of its teams, the Taiwan Mustangs, according to Bleacher Report. This reportedly makes him the first basketball player in Taiwan to have an ownership stake in a league he plays in. His professional career in Taiwan reportedly inspired the decision to become a team owner in the country.
“Last year after the first game I played in Taiwan I looked over at Mu Real and said, ‘Man, I’m going to start my OWN league one day where former NBA players, top college recruits and elite international players can still get a stage to showcase to the world how great they are,” Howard wrote.
“He looked at me crazy but one day is NOW! And we are coming back,” the former NBA MVP and eight-time All-Star announced on Instagram.
In his post, he also revealed that the team would be participating in the Asian Tournament, a continental tournament that features teams from several Asian countries.
Meanwhile, the ex-star is already initiating moves to bolster his team. In a post on X, he called for other ex-NBA players to join him. The last time Howard played in the NBA was during the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has since played overseas after he couldn’t find an NBA team offering him a contract.
