Eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard signs with Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan
Eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard is one of the best big men of his generation. He's now likely going to finish his professional basketball career playing overseas.
First of all, it's not that there's anything wrong with that. Get your money, Dwight. Nobody is going to begrudge you for paying your bills.
It is a bit jarring to see the first-overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft announcing that he's signing to play in Taiwan rather than in the NBA, though.
Sure, he's nowhere near the player who won NBA Defensive Player of the Year three times and once averaged 20.6 points, 2.1 blocks, and 14.5 rebounds per game (in 2011-12 with the Orlando Magic), but are you really telling me that there's not one NBA team this season that could use an experienced big man off the bench?
Howard did score 6.2 points and bring down 5.9 boards last season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Again, he's no longer the eight-time All-NBA player he once was, but couldn't a young, rebound- and defense-needy team like the Detroit Pistons or Houston Rockets use a player like Howard? Heck, Howard even played in Houston for a few seasons, so the familiarity is there.
What's most likely the case is that Howard is getting "the bag" to be a dominant attraction over on a Taiwan basketball court, and at this point in his career perhaps that payout seems a lot more attractive than grinding for another bad team.
Good luck, Superman. Get your bag.
More must-reads: