Dwight Howard arrives in Taiwan. (CNA photo)
Dwight Howard arrives in Taiwan. (CNA photo)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former NBA star Dwight Howard returned to Taiwan on Sunday to headline the Kings Heart Classic charity event at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei.
The 40-year-old Howard, an eight-time NBA All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of its 2025 class. He also won three consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2009 to 2011, per UDN.
Howard previously played professionally in Taiwan for the Taoyuan Leopards during the 2022-23 T1 League season. He led the league in rebounding, was selected to the All-Defensive First Team and All-T1 League First Team, and was named the league’s Most Valuable Import.
Sunday's event, organized by the New Taipei Kings and The Asian Tournament, featured a friendly game between the Kings and the Macau Black Knights before Howard’s charity exhibition game. Howard served as a guest commentator for the first game and was set to lead the TAT All-Star team against a Kings All-Star team in the charity game. A fan meet-and-greet was also scheduled between the two games, per a Kings press release.
Dwight Howard meets with fans. (CNA photo)
Part of the event’s proceeds will be donated to PACK Taiwan, an animal welfare organization, to improve shelter care and support the adoption of stray dogs, according to the Kings.
After arriving at his hotel at about 1 a.m., Howard said he still had enough time to enjoy one of his favorite Taiwanese delicacies, chicken butts. He also described Taiwan as one of his favorite places in the world and hinted at the possibility of playing professionally in Taiwan again, per UDN.
When asked about returning to play in Taiwan, Howard gave a long “hmm” before laughing. He said his children are now grown up and that he wants to spend more time with his family. Returning to Taiwan after about three years, Howard said memories of his previous time in the country came flooding back and that he was already moved to tears when he arrived at his hotel.
Howard recently announced that he will return to professional basketball with Black Fortress Tbilisi in Georgia. He is expected to join the club in October after announcing his retirement earlier this year, per BasketNews.
Howard said he loves the enthusiasm and friendliness of Taiwanese people and that many of his friends in Taiwan are like family. He joked that numerous players have messaged him asking about Taiwan and encouraged them to visit the country and create their own memories.
Dwight Howard outside Xinzhuang Gymnasium. (CNA photo)