If Dwight Howard cannot return to Adam Silver’s league, he might just damage it with his own league. Not that this is what the former Los Angeles Lakers star intends to do. But if his suggested plan sets into motion, this could be a reality. As revealed in his conversation with Kevin Garnett, Howard no longer intends to return to the NBA for the sake of his own body. So what’s next for the 3x DPOY? That is exactly what Adam Silver would not be too happy to hear.

During Howard’s recent podcast appearance with O’Shea Jackson Jr., son of the legendary Ice Cube, the discussion took an exciting turn. “I talked to my dad. I was like ‘I’mma do Dwight podcast.’ ‘Dwight Howard… Get on his ass about the big three,'” Jackson Jr. recalled his conversation with his father.

The idea of the collab sounded more intriguing when it was pointed out on the show that Howard and Ice Cube are the only two men of color to have their own league. “Do a battle of the leagues… I have a league [in Asia]… We do take it international,” Howard suggested.

If you’ve been following Dwight Howard’s journey, you might recall his big move last year when he joined the Taiwan Mustangs. But it wasn’t just about playing—Howard became a part-owner of their league. Now imagine a partnership between his league and the Big 3. Sounds like a game-changer.

Here’s why this matters: the NBA is already feeling the heat. Ratings for national broadcasts on ESPN, ABC, and TNT during the NBA Cup semifinals were down 19 percent compared to last year, according to Sports Media Watch. Fans and analysts alike have pointed to the NBA’s overly long season and the obsession with three-pointers as reasons for its declining appeal.

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Amid such circumstances, a fast-paced 3×3 format in a league that’s known for its more raw gameplay could further a concern for NBA ratings and Adam Silver.

Adam Silver already has had issues with Ice Cub’s 3×3 league?

The Big3 basketball league, founded by Ice Cube in 2017, shook things up with its unique 3×3 format. The league’s popularity further skyrocketed in 2023, with fans loving its fast-paced games and trash-talking intensity. But Ice Cube says it hasn’t been an easy ride, especially without much help from the outside.

The rapper, who’s worth a cool $160 million, claimed that some NBA executives—yes, even Adam Silver—weren’t exactly thrilled about the Big3’s rise. Back in 2023, Ice Cube alleged that Silver tried to block sponsorship opportunities for the league, adding fuel to the fire. “I don’t give a f*ck about working with the NBA. What I want them to do, when I say ‘work with us,’ is to stop working against us. Stop doing that bullsh*t behind the scenes,” he said.

Fans of the Big3 know the league’s secret sauce: freedom. As Ice Cube said in 2024, “Nobody wanna pay to see robots play… Your personality is welcomed in the Big3 instead of shunned.” Yep, we’re talking pace, physicality, and trash-talking. Now imagine Dwight Howard joining this with his league and popularity. Something that could for sure be bad news for the declining NBA.