Chalien Dantes/Contributor

For years, many basketball fans believed Dwight Howard had already stepped away from the game. 

As it turns out, the former NBA star had never actually made it official until now. On Thursday (March 12), Howard announced his retirement from basketball after two decades. The eight-time All-Star last played in the NBA during the 2021–22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers before spending a year with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan’s T1 League.

The announcement comes months after Howard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last September, recognition of a career that saw him become one of the most dominant centres of his era.

In a lengthy social media message, Howard explained that stepping away from the court wasn’t always his choice. Despite being out of the NBA for the past three years, he said he still felt he had more to offer the game.

Now, he says the focus will shift toward family and helping others. Instead of a traditional retirement tour, Howard plans to travel to different cities around the world on the 12th of every month, which would be a homage to the jersey number he wore for much of his career, carrying out random acts of kindness.

The former ‘Superman’ says the cape is finally coming off, but his next chapter will be about giving back and passing the torch to the next generation.