Former Los Angeles Lakers big man Dwight Howard is playing in Taiwan’s T1 League this season, and he’s had some monster games already.
However, no matter what Howard does in Taiwan this season, it doesn’t sound like Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal is going to be impressed. The Hall of Famer spoke about Howard’s debut performance in Taiwan and wasn’t very complimentary.
“He’s supposed to have 30 points playing against dudes 5’8,” O’Neal said. “… This league reminds me of the Life Time Fitness league every Saturday when I go work out on Saturday.”
In Howard’s debut in the T1 League, he put together a ridiculous all-around performance. The veteran dropped 38 points, 25 rebounds, nine assists and nine blocks. He even knocked down some 3-pointers and handled the ball at times.
In his second game, he was phenomenal once again, finishing just shy of a triple-double. He racked up 23 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Howard wasn’t able to find a home in the NBA this season, but he’s clearly playing some impressive basketball in Taiwan. It’s possible that his play in the T1 League will cause some NBA teams to express interest in him.
The 36-year-old has had an outstanding basketball career. In the NBA world, he’s an eight-time All-Star, five-time rebounding champion and three-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner.
In the 2019-20 season, he helped the Lakers win their most recent NBA title. He was already past his prime by then, but he did give the squad some key minutes in the regular season and playoffs.
Howard averaged 7.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the 2019-20 regular season. In the playoffs, he went for 5.8 points and 4.6 boards per contest.
He holds career averages of 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in the NBA.
It will be interesting to see what Howard’s future holds in the basketball world. Whether he eventually returns to the NBA or not, he clearly still has love for the game and seems to be enjoying himself in Taiwan.
The former No. 1 overall pick last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season with the Lakers. It’s extremely likely that he’ll find himself in the Hall of Fame once he’s eligible.
