Dwight Howard, who played more than 1,200 games in the NBA, is taking his talents to Taiwan, where he will play for Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League.
Howard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, will join the year-old professional league and compete against teams including the Kaohsiung Aquas and the TaiwanBeer HeroBears. J&V Energy Technology Co., a sponsor of the Leopards, rose as much as 1.6% in trading on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
"I am so so excited and I cant wait to touch down in Taiwan and start playing,” Howard said in a video posted on the Leopards’ Facebook page. "I can’t wait to see the fans, eat the food and have the best time ever.”
Howard played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his third stint with the team. In 18 years in the league, Howard was an eight-time NBA All-Star and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year; he won one championship, in 2020, in his second tour with the Lakers.
He made almost $250 million in salary during his NBA career, according to statistics website Basketball Reference.