Former NBA star Dwight Howard has pledged to support Taiwan following this month’s 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 on Monday.
“I know a lot of people are still shaken up by just being in an earthquake,” Howard said. “Just want to give my thoughts and my prayers to all the families in Taiwan that were affected.”
Howard, 38, said he intends to establish a relief fund for victims of the recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan, which claimed at least 13 lives and left over a thousand injured, as reported by TMZ.
“I gotta come back. I would love to come back to Taiwan very soon to help do a relief project for all the fans there. Bring the smiles and everyone to Taiwan just to kinda get your mind shifted.”
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, last month.
In 2015, Howard traveled to Charleston to support victims of a church shooting by attending a vigil held there. The incident claimed the lives of nine people.
The basketball star collaborated with Habitat for Humanity and other key stakeholders in 2011 to participate in the rebuilding of homes that were destroyed by tornadoes.
The humanitarian side of Howard has never been absent anytime there is a major disaster that’s connected to his community.
