“If there is no struggle, there is no progress,” said Dwight Howard regarding his dancing once. It may seem unlikely that a former NBA center would show off dance moves as gracefully as he once dominated the paint. But he is making it happen. Howard first teased fans with a glimpse of his dance abilities back when he played for the Orlando Magic. Those performances hinted at a hidden talent, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Daniella Karagach for Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars that his potential truly began to shine. And now Howard has even shared an emotional tribute to Karargach, illustrating the close bond they’ve built along the way.

In a recent Instagram post, Howard expressed his gratitude for Karagach, marveling at how they went from strangers to “best friends” over the course of just a few weeks. “Can’t believe, just a few weeks ago we were strangers, now we are bf’s working hard and inspiring millions together… It’s been weeks of pain, sweat, tears, and joy but most importantly the camaraderie we formed is unmatched. Can’t wait to take the floor again on Tuesday 🙏🏾🪩 #dwts,” wrote Howard as the caption of the post.

Howard’s journey from professional sports to competitive dancing has been one of resilience, humility and adaptability. The physical demands are immense and they are so different from being a basketball player. Just few days back, Daniella Karagach gave a glimpse of her partner’s tough choreography routine.

In one of her Instagram story, Howard could be seen doing a wrist exercise that can improve his “wrist mobility” for the lifts in their choreography. The technique that looked tough for the former Orlando Magic player was nothing in case of Karagach and it was quite evident when she said, “That’s not anything crazy.”

Moreover, the choreography routine was more stressful for the dance partners because of unprecedented challenges they faced. During her appearance on the Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis, the 31-year-old dancer revealed the changes in their practice routines because of their schedule.

“So it wasn’t like we were traveling, and then we had a 5-to-9 rehearsal. It was we were traveling, we had a 5 to 9 rehearsal but he would only show up till 7 to 8 and then because he didn’t know himself what the schedule would be. So, it was just so all over the place,” said Karagach during the podcast.

Yet despite the challenges, both of them of them have been performing quite well in the show. In their last appearance which was the Halloween special 6th episode, Howard and Karagach went for a dark-themed dance based on the song Ring Around The Rosie by District 78. The judges were impressed by the duo’s performance and gave Howard 28 points. Also, during the dance-off, Howard was able to outdo the performances of Ilona Maher, the American rugby union player.

Through this journey, Howard and Karagach have exemplified the powerful connection that can form when two people, each with unique strengths, join forces for a shared goal. However, there is another time when the 6-foot-10 athlete had compared DWTS to the world’s toughest test.

Howard ranked DWTS higher than ‘Special Forces’ in terms of difficulty

Though Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach share a bond built on sweat, resilience, and a shared goal of inspiring millions, Howard recently revealed that Dancing with the Stars is “harder” than anything he has endured—even grueling Special Forces training. Known for his incredible strength and tenacity, Howard has faced his fair share of demanding challenges, but dance training with Karagach has tested him in ways he didn’t anticipate.

During his candid conversation on an episode of ‘Gil’s Arena Podcast’, Howard made a surprising admission about the comparative difficulty of these shows.

“The Special Forces? Alright so, the Special Forces was so mentally and physically draining that when it was only ten days and it wasn’t ten days for everybody because some people got they left the first day. I was able to withstand being kidnapped, set on fire, all that stuff and this is a whole different type of thing that we are dealing with on the dance floor. That was hard, I had PTSD after that like I felt like I was really in the army but doing this [Dancing with the Stars] is harder,” said Howard during the podcast.

During his appearance on the first season ‘Special Forces’, Howard was pushed to the limits as he was kidnapped, got chased by dogs, helicopters and was also set on fire. Still, his revelation of referring DWTS as hard was a shocker for many. It can be said that through Karagach’s guidance, Howard has navigated intricate routines that demand more than just muscle and is excelling on every segment. As the next episode is scheduled to be aired on Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024, fans are eagerly waiting to see what Howard and Karagach have next in store for them.