Dwight Howard Makes Joyous Return To Orlando At BIG3 All-Star Game

“It’s always great to be home in Orlando,” Howard told Orlando Magic On SI . “This is my home, I grew up here. And to play in the All-Game being here for the BIG 3 is an amazing honor. I love Ice Cube and what he’s been doing for the past eight years. I am very grateful and thankful to be a part of it, so I’m looking forward to next season.”

"It's been amazing to be back and see all of that, all the love," Howard added. "Yeah, I missed everybody here."

In true “Superman” fashion, Howard powered Team 3 to a 51-41 victory, finishing with a game-high 23 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and a block.

"I'm glad we got this win in front of my fans here," Howard noted in a post-game interview. "And I'm just so happy to be home. I love you, Orlando."

BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube thanked Orlando fans for their energy, noting Howard’s deep connection to the city helped make the event possible. He added the league plans to return in the future, expressing Orlando’s true passion for basketball.

"Orlando is amazing," Ice Cube said in a post-game press conference. "We’ve been trying to get here for eight years. It finally worked out this year. And it’s probably because we had Dwight [Howard]. We had something on our side. With an amazing audience, they filled up UCF, and it was amazing. We’ll be back without a doubt. Players have fun, they enjoy the town and the atmosphere, and they love basketball in Orlando, so that’s why we’re here."

"That’s what we started the league for," he added. "For players that have a big fan base and still want to play, finding themselves on the outside of the NBA for whatever reason, still got game, and we got room for you here in the BIG3."

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