Kicked Out of NBA, Dwight Howard Celebrates Massive Win With First-Ever Championship as Team Owner

“Man, I’m going to start my own league one day…” That dream has materialized for Dwight Howard, who now co-owns The Asian Tournament (TAT). After playing for 18 years, Howard, who left the league “with tears,” now takes a jab at the NBA. Rightly so for him, as he highlights how his life has changed for the better.

On the 3rd, Dwight took to his X account, sharing photos and videos of his 1st championship win with Taiwan Mustangs, captioning: “Life is a crazy thing look how I got cut from the league now I own a league,” with a man shrugging emoji.

Howards joined the Taiwan Mustangs of TAT back on May 30, 2024, to return to the court a few days later. Going 5-0 over the month since then, the 8x All-Star won the 4th Leg of TAT. “First Championship as a player/owner many more to come,” he captioned a post.

It has been two seasons since Dwight Howard last played in the NBA. He played the 2022-23 season as a part of Taoyuan Leopards in the T1 league. The former Lakers star finished with 38 points, 25 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 blocks. So, why not the NBA?

According to Forbes, Howard’s departure from the NBA wasn’t because of performance, but rather his reputation. An Eastern Conference executive revealed that Howard’s behavior in Orlando had lasting repercussions. His treatment of former Magic GM Otis Smith and other league figures left a bitter taste. “There are a lot of guys who are friends with Stan who never forgave Dwight Howard, even if Stan did,” the executive said. “There are a lot of guys who are close with Otis Smith, who never forgave Dwight for how he treated Otis.”

Further adding to the story, the executive noted that many NBA team owners were still around and hadn’t forgotten Howard’s past actions. This is the reason Howard feels that he was forced out of the league, according to him. On The OGs podcast, Howard expressed his desire to retire with the Orlando Magic, saying, “If I could go back with a team, I gotta go back with the Magic. It’s only right.”

Dwight Howard: From NBA heartbreak to new beginnings, and his plan to sign NBA stars for his league

After a heart-wrenching departure from the NBA, the 2020 NBA champion has bounced back in a big way. As a player and a co-owner of both a team and a league, Howard announced the milestone of Instagram.

In the post, Howard shared a memorable conversation he had after his first game in Taiwan. “Man, I’m going to start my OWN league one day where former NBA players, top college recruits, & elite international players can still get a stage to showcase to the world how great they are,” he recalled telling a friend. He also shared his friend’s reaction after he accomplished it: “He looked at me crazy but one day is NOW!”.

Moreover, Howard isn’t stopping there. He’s got big plans to sign NBA players for his league. “Also guess what? Now that I’m an owner of a league, it’s time to get back to recruiting & it’s NBA playoffs! We gotta bring some other NBA players,” he revealed, showing his ambition to elevate TAT to new heights.

Howard’s enthusiasm shone through again after the USA vs. South Sudan match, where Jayson Tatum, who had just won a championship with the Boston Celtics, found himself on the bench. Howard humorously tweeted, “Jayson we could use another champ in my league! You could hoop like this,” linking to a video, inviting Tatum to join his league.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.