Dwight Howard made his much-anticipated BIG3 debut with the Los Angeles Riot—but instead of dominating the court, he went viral for getting into a fight with Lance Stephenson. Both NBA veterans were ejected during a wild opening game.
Dwight Howard’s first game in the BIG3 ended in fireworks—and not the kind he or the league hoped for.
Lance Stephenson
Lance Stephenson
Position: SG
Age: 34
Height: 196 cm
Weight: 100 kg
Birth place: Brooklyn, United States of America
The former NBA superstar made his highly anticipated debut for the Los Angeles Riot on Saturday, marking the start of what he’s said will be the final season of his Hall of Fame career. But within minutes of stepping on the court, Howard was trending for all the wrong reasons.
In a game that already had playoff-level intensity, Howard and Lance Stephenson got into a heated scuffle that led to both players being ejected from the BIG3’s 2025 season opener between Los Angeles and Miami 305.
The clash erupted when Stephenson appeared to elbow Howard in the chest. Howard swatted Stephenson’s raised arm away, and within seconds, the two were exchanging shoves that spilled behind the basket and into the media area.
“This is not exactly how I pictured my debut going,” Howard joked postgame in a brief statement through the team.
Security and teammates had to intervene before things escalated further. Both former NBA players—who collectively played in 31 NBA seasons—were tossed from the game. The Miami 305 went on to win 50–44, but the brawl dominated the headlines.
The Howard-Stephenson showdown wasn’t the only heated moment of the game.
Earlier, Stephenson got into it with Jordan Crawford. After a brief confrontation, Crawford put his hand in Stephenson’s face and made contact with his nose—prompting Stephenson to throw a punch. That altercation did not result in an ejection, but it foreshadowed the chaos to come.
The 2025 BIG3 season—the league’s eighth—features eight new teams and a revamped format with a $1 million prize for the championship game. With star power like Kemba Walker, Wesley Johnson, Montrezl Harrell, and now Dwight Howard, the league is leaning heavily into its growing role as a post-NBA proving ground and entertainment vehicle.
Howard, who last played professionally in Taiwan, was welcomed warmly by BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube, who praised his willingness to join the 3-on-3 movement.
“Dwight’s legacy speaks for itself,” Ice Cube said. “He still has fun playing the game… and now he gets to show his full skill set in the BIG3.”
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