Eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard has signed a contract to play for the Philippines Basketball Team in the 2024 Dubai tournament.
The former Los Angeles Lakers player is set to play for the Philippine team, Strong Group, in the upcoming Dubai International Basketball Championships, as confirmed by the Philippine team head coach, Charles Tiu.
Dwight Howard, standing 6 feet and 10 inches and playing the center position, is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He had a previous stint with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan’s T1 League. As part of his “World Smile Tour,” an initiative aimed at securing a spot on an NBA roster, Howard is scheduled to begin his journey in the Philippines and is expected to be the biggest name included in the said tournament.
The agreement will be in effect until the conclusion of the Dubai International Basketball Championship, scheduled from January 19 to January 28 in the United Arab Emirates. Dwight Howard remains optimistic and positive about securing another opportunity to play in the NBA as he chose to transfer to another basketball team.
At 38 years old, he participated in training sessions with the Golden State Warriors before the 2023-24 season and humorously expressed interest in joining the Detroit Pistons during their notable losing streak in December.
He previously served as a key player for the Orlando Magic and concluded his recent NBA tenure in the 2021-2022 season, participating in 60 games with the Lakers. During this period, he posted averages of 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game.
Dwight Howard will be joining the team alongside former Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche and former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson as reinforcements.
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