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NBA veteran Dwight Howard has been waiting for the next stop of his basketball journey. That next stop is going to be overseas.
The eight-time NBA All-Star has announced that he is signing to play with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan. Howard spent last season with the LA Lakers, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 16.2 minutes.
The 36-year-old big man had remained a free agent this year and was waiting for his next NBA opportunity. After waiting several months, Howard has his eyes set on continuing his basketball career overseas.
Howard expressed excitement in a recent social media post via the Taoyuan Leopard's social account. He commented on how excited he is to be playing in Taiwan and that he's excited to get together with teammates and staff.
"I am so so excited, and I can't wait to touch down in Taiwan and start playing. ... I'm coming with open arms, with big hugs and big smiles," Howard said.
Veteran Dwight Howard set to play overseas in Taiwan
Dwight Howard has always brought enthusiasm and excitement to each team during his illustrious career. That's just what he's hoping to do with his next stop in Taiwan.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Howard has shown the ability to be impactful in limited minutes. In his last three seasons, the veteran big man averaged 6.9 points and 7.3 rebounds in just 17.5 minutes of action. It's a bit of a surprise that Howard never got an offer from an NBA team, as he could still provide depth on a roster.
For now, the potential Hall of Fame big man will take his talents overseas to join the Taoyuan Leopards. The Leopards play in Taiwan's T1 league, and Howard's presence alone should be a crowd favorite.
Howard could still find himself as a player that could intrigue NBA teams throughout the year, even with the announcement that he's heading overseas. Despite his age, Howard has been durable. He's played 60 games or more in each of the last three seasons. During his most recent time with the LA Lakers, Howard started 27 games.
Time will tell if Howard will eventually get the opportunity to take the NBA floor again. During his 18 years of NBA service, Howard has career averages of 15.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg and 1.8 bpg.
Howard has had plenty of notable accomplishments. He's a five-time All-Defensive team player as well as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. When Howard does decide to walk away from basketball, he's sure to be in the conversation for the Hall of Fame. Basketball-Reference.com lists his enshrinement chances as 99.7%.
Guess the Lakers players!
