Making things easy for your son and watching him suffer like Bronny James or making it difficult right from the start? There is no arguing that the initial struggle helps you build patience, skills, and temperament. And Dwight Howard seems to have a great understanding of it. However, past instances have shown he can get carried away in the spirit of pushing limits for his kids. But the criticism that D12 faced hasn’t stopped him from working on his kids.

“Just got finished coaching my son and his basketball team down here in Georgia, and I just been so thrilled to actually coach… It’s been so much fun, you know, being with the young guys. They’re only 11 years old, so just giving them an opportunity to play the game, learn the game at a very high level. It’s been amazing,” Howard shared on Podcast with P.

Clearly, he enjoys passing down his basketball knowledge. And this isn’t his first experience coaching—he’s worked with his other son in California and even his daughter. Sounds like a wholesome family moment, right? Well, not exactly, if you consider how intense Howard can get when training his kids. Back in 2023, he sparked a major debate after posting a video on Instagram that left fans split on his parenting style.

The clips showed him working out and training his kids, but one particular moment grabbed all the attention. Howard was seen pushing his youngest son, David, through a grueling exercise bike session. The nine-year-old, the son of Howard and his late ex-girlfriend Melissa Rios was visibly struggling. Rios tragically passed away in 2020 because of an epileptic seizure, making the moment even more heartbreaking for some viewers.

As David pedaled, exhausted, he cried out, “I can’t! I can’t! It’s too hard!” But Howard wasn’t letting up. He tapped his son on the chest and kept pushing, repeating, “You can! Let’s go.”

Despite David’s protests and visible exhaustion, Howard continued pushing him forward. But make no mistake, it’s not just his kids Howard is willing to push. He’s ready to give up on his own desires so that he can hoop with his kids.

Kenny Smith-like fate scared Dwight Howard into giving up NBA comeback dreams only to focus on his kids

During a discussion on KG Certified, Howard was asked if he’d consider returning to the NBA for a big multi-million dollar deal. Howard’s response? “I could. But, man, to be honest, I remember when me and you talked. You said one other thing after we got into it. You said, ‘you still want to be able to move around and walk for your kids.'”

That statement alone speaks volumes. Howard made it clear—no amount of money is worth sacrificing his long-term health. He doesn’t want to put excessive stress on his body and end up dealing with something like Kenny Smith’s knock knees. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year, however, clarified he has nothing but love for Smith, who battled knee issues from a severe injury even before his NBA days.

But at the end of the day, Howard isn’t thinking about the game—he’s thinking about what truly matters. His kids come first. And he’s making sure he’ll be able to move around and enjoy life with them, no matter what. Amid such circumstances, it becomes difficult to judge Dwight Howard for the rigorous training schedule he might have for his kids.