From dominating the paint in the NBA to conquering reality TV challenges, Dwight Howard’s post-basketball ventures have taken unexpected turns. The eight-time NBA All-Star has traded his basketball shorts for both combat gear and dancing shoes, appearing on FOX’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” But it’s his recent revelation on the Gills Arena podcast that has raised eyebrows – claiming that perfecting the foxtrot alongside professional dancer Daniella Karagach proved more demanding than military-style training.

During his candid conversation on the ‘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 show.

Before joining DWTS with pro dancer Daniella Karagach, Howard had joined the first season of the Special Forces Show in 2023 along with stars Lynn Spears, Kate Gosselin, and former MLB and NFL players Mike Piazza and Danny Amendola in enduring brutal military training exercises. There were a total of 15 contestants in the first season. The show pushed contestants through grueling challenges designed by former special forces operatives, from helicopter jumps to interrogation simulations. “We got kidnapped, we really got kidnapped, like guns. We got chased by dogs, helicopters. We had all this stuff. We got set on fire. We got tear gas. We had to fight each other. We had to do some of the most craziest things like it was like we was really in the military. we had to we had to do trust Falls from 200 feet in the air listen to what I’m saying… the work that we are putting in Dancing with the Stars is harder when it comes to the mental aspect, that was harder,” added Howard during the podcast.

Following this intense experience, Howard stepped onto the glittering stage of “Dancing with the Stars” Season 33, where he showcased a different kind of physical prowess alongside pro dancer Daniella Karagach and we can see that he’s doing pretty good here. They scored a total of 22 out of 30 points during the first week of their performance which was only second to the top score of the night. Now after the fifth week, they have a total of 125 points. “If there is no struggle, there is no progress” … I mean “ Champions don’t quit” or “ Fall down 7 times stand up 8” & whatever other cliche quotes they have out there for the people that are dedicated to reaching their goals. All I know is me & @daniellakaragach don’t have any plans to leave you guys any time soon & I’m trying to make my Momma proud like she was when I won that NBA championship,” wrote Howard in an Instagram post that shows his dedication towards the show.

Revealing this, however, provided a fascinating insight into what would often be an unknown demand in competitive dancing especially for an athlete that doesn’t have dance as a form of physical exertion. However although the NBA champion mentioned here that the Special Forces had given him PTSD, he once had expressed his gratitude for the show.

When Dwight Howard stated that Filming ‘Special Forces’ was a ‘Great experience’

Even though Howard admitted that his experience in the Special Forces was intense from start to finish, the 8x NBA All-Star had once admitted that the challenges made him look at his life from a different perspective that he never thought of before. The former center also stated that writing the death letter to his family was the challenge that changed his outlook on life.

In an interview with ‘People’, Howard described the grueling challenges he faced during the show, which pushed him to his physical and mental limits. “It was the greatest experience of my life. I learned that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. That’s the message that I’ve had since I was young, but now it resonates even more because of the things we had to go through…To write a death letter to your kids and to your family and friends, that takes a lot out of you. Moments like that really show you what type of person you are,” said Howard during the show.

Not only this but Howard had also expressed his gratitude towards Fox for giving him a place to be on the show. “It really opened me up to another world and I’m just so thankful,” said Dwight Howard (as per People). His determination helped the former NBA player to finish third on the show. Now it can be speculated that even though Howard has mentioned DWTS to be harder, his stint in the ‘World’s Toughest Show‘ has indeed left a positive mark on his life.