When it comes to dancing with basketball giants, few can match Daniella Karagach’s unique expertise. The professional dancer, who made history by transforming 6’5″ NBA champion Iman Shumpert into a mirrorball trophy winner in Season 30, now faces perhaps her biggest challenge yet – quite literally – in 6’10” NBA star Dwight Howard. With Karagach standing at a mere 5’3″, she has indeed got a height to scale!

This isn’t just about height differences – it’s about completely reimagining traditional dance techniques. With Shumpert in Season 30, Karagach revolutionized how tall contestants could move on the dance floor. Their groundbreaking performances, particularly their horror-themed Contemporary dance to “I Got 5 On It,” showcased how height disparities could become advantages rather than limitations. The pair’s victory marked the first time an NBA player won the competition, setting a new standard for athletes on the show. Now Daniella has landed with one more. And, as she reveals, despite her winning experience with Shumpert, she was shaken initially.

In a recent candid appearance on ‘Lightweights Podcast with Joe Vulpis‘, Karagach shared the overwhelming anxiety she experienced when first paired with Howard for Season 33. “Iman (Shumpert) was probably the tallest guy I’ve ever danced with but he’s the tallest guy I think I spent so much time with and then when I saw Dwight, I was like ‘Oh my God, he’s so much taller!’ and it was just a shock. I think like, my jaw literally fell to the floor,” said Karagach during the podcast.

When asked if she had to make a huge adjustment to work with Howard, the 31-year-old dancer didn’t back off from expressing herself. “Huge adjustment because it was just like right away the amount of thoughts that went through my head, ‘Okay, what am I gonna do with this like giant? like I’m going to have to make this work all season,'” added Karagach during the podcast.

However, the fear that Karagach initially had in her mind about teaming up with Howard was quickly settled with the duo’s debut performance on the 33rd season of the show. The former NBA player and the pro dancer chose salsa as their first dance and showed their moves by dancing to the hit song “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan.

The judges were so satisfied with their performance that the first act got a staggering 22 points out of 30. That was the second-highest score of the night after Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong and was one of only two couples to receive an eight. “It’s like watching a giraffe and a gazelle dance together,” Judge Derek Hough had jokingly said after the performance! Now in week 5, as the duo clinched 29 points, their total adds up to 125 points. But can you imagine the degree of alteration Daniella had to make to get to this point?

“We started rehearsing late, and I had choreography planned out. And when we came into the studio for the first time to actually start rehearsals, I realized I had to switch up pretty much my whole choreography because I couldn’t make it around [him]. He was so tall, I couldn’t get around him. … So, I had to change up pretty much everything. It was crazy.” Karagach exclusively told Us Weekly after the September 17 premiere, giving a sneak peek. Interestingly, Howard finds the preparation very similar to that of basketball.

Who can question Howard’s hard work in the NBA landscape? His resume features a championship win and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He currently plays for the Taiwan Mustangs of the Asian Tournament and has been associated with the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. Howard told Us that dancing is “similar” to basketball training in some ways, but it requires “working so many more muscles.” Alongside, he has all praise for Daniella.

“When she does it, it’s perfect. Every little stance, it’s perfect. Down to her fingernails, they’re perfect. It’s just crazy to see. I love it,” Howard said of her dancing partner. Overcoming the height barrier, he could not help but become emotional as he found out that their hard work was reaping the fruits.

“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 emotional Instagram post.

As the competition progresses, Karagach and Howard continue to adapt and evolve. While the initial shock of working with such a tall partner nearly derailed her confidence, Karagach’s professional resilience and creative problem-solving abilities have turned potential limitations into opportunities for innovation. However, the NBA star has continued to surprise and impress Karagach in return.

Daniella Karagach hails Dwight Howard’s presence of mind

The professional dancing partner of NBA star Dwight Howard on the popular reality show Dancing with the Stars also expressed her admiration for Howard’s unique approach to dancing. During a live performance on the third week of the show’s Soul Train Night, Howard and Karagach danced to a Cha-Cha song.

However Midway through the routine, Howard stumbled and momentarily forgot his steps. But the former Orlando Magic veteran, instead of panicking or stopping the dance, improvised and created new movements on the spot.

“I literally turned around and he was not there and he was just like feeling the music. I was like you know what it’s better than just standing there right? Like kudos to him for not just standing there and freaking out. I loved the fact that he was able to be like – forgot the steps, oh well, let me just make my own thing up,” said Karagach during the podcast.

While these improvised steps might not have been technically perfect, Karagach was impressed by Howard’s ability to adapt and keep the performance going. The judges were also impressed by their performance and the unique wig that Howard wore that night and gave them a total of 23 points. However, just because Daniella won with Shumpert does not mean that she has the pressure to repeat the same.

“[They’re] two different people. First of all, this guy is way taller. So, it’s a very different challenge, but he’s a completely different person. So, no expectations,” she explained to the Us Weekly. For now, what we can see is Dwight’s willingness to take risks and embrace the unexpected is already making him a captivating performer.