Hall-of-Fame center Dwight Howard officially announced his retirement, ending a career best-known for his time with the Orlando Magic.
The face of the Orlando Magic franchise is finally disappearing from professional basketball.
Accomplished center Dwight Howard announced his retirement on Thursday, heralding his departure in an Instagram post featuring a video retrospective made in collaboration with Ballislife.
“Woke up today on the 12th of this month and I figured it’s time to move on from Superman!” Howard said in his accompanying caption, referencing the superhero nickname that followed him throughout his career. “I’m no super human… I cry ! I struggle! I feel like everyone else. Through the lies, the media and the hate I still show love and Smile Through The Storm.”
“But now I’m taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family and give back to communities worldwide. I know some of you might think I thought he already “retired” but I didn’t… the game retired me! I still had more left to give ! Yeah I did play professionally for 20 years and I’m grateful to be able to say that but I can’t lie seeing these other players still going at it at age 40 inspired me to want to keep trying but now I believe my duty will be to pass it down to the next generation.”
Howard, 40, already retires a Hall-of-Famer, as he earned a dual induction last year as both an individual and as a member of the 2008 United States men’s Olympic team. His last NBA outings came in 2021-22 when he played 60 games for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Born in Atlanta, Howard burst onto the national scene at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy and earned various amateur honors such as the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award, and the McDonald’s All-American Game MVP title next to fellow future NBA mainstay J.R. Smith. Inspired by Kevin Garnett, Howard eschewed college for the NBA Draft, where the Magic made him the third and final top pick chosen out of high school next to Kwame Brown and LeBron James.
Howard immediately made his presence felt, averaging a double-double at 12 points and 10 rebounds (becoming the youngest player to do so). He wound up pulling off such a feat in each of his first 14 seasons and would go on to establish himself as one of the new century’s most dominant interior threats under the watch of then-Magic head coach Brian Hill, who was also responsible for the early paint prowess of fellow Central Floridan draftee Shaquille O’Neal. Howard’s durability was also the stuff of legends: over his first seven seasons, Howard missed only seven games. He would make the first of eight consecutive All-Star appearances in 2007, shortly before he helped Orlando end a three-year playoff drought.
Working with new boss Stan Van Gundy, Howard broke out for 20.7 points and a league-best 14.2 rebounds in the following season, which was enough to launch him into the MVP vote. He also won All-Star Weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest, securing the title by donning a Superman cape on his climaxing slam. At the ensuing Summer Olympics, Howard was the starting center on what was commonly referred to as the “Redeem Team,” as the Americans swept their way through the Beijing Games after winning but a bronze in their prior ringed showing in Athens.
After that, Howard guided the Magic to 59 wins (their most since 1995-96) and reprised his role as rebounding leader (13.8) while also leading the league in blocks at 2.9. Howard was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts and also thrust Orlando into the NBA Finals, defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics and James’ Cleveland Cavaliers along the way.
Though the Magic never reached the Finals again, Howard continued to be an All-Star Game mainstay and led the league in rebounds on two more occasions, blocks once, and two more DPOY titles (joining Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace as the only defenders to earn a trio). Though things ended somewhat icy in Orlando, Howard continues to dominate the historic ledgers, standing as the franchise’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, free throws, and minutes.
Howard was eventually traded to the Lakers in 2012, garnering a significant amount of hype when he and Steve Nash joined an illustrious lineup also featuring Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Metta Sandiford-Artest (then-known as Metta World Peace). The lineup, however, failed to pay major dividends and, despite another season atop the rebounding ledgers, Howard moved to the Houston Rockets after that.
Despite some hyped collaborations with James Harden, Howard did not make it back to the Finals and became a bit of a nomad, working with Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington before making his way back to SoCal’s purple-and-gold in 2019. Working with starting center JaVale McGee, Howard was a reliable backup and played 69 games en route to the Lakers’ 2020 championship in the Walt Disney World bubble. Howard spent his last two seasons between Philadelphia and Los Angeles before embarking on a brief playing career in Taiwan.
Entering Thursday night play, Howard places 11th in total rebounds in NBA history (fifth of the defensive variety) as well as 12th in field goal percentage and 15th in blocks. Howard promised to keep equally busy in retirement.
DWIGHT HOWARD
5’10” point guard in the 8th grade
6’11” No. 1 pick out of high school
3x Defensive Player Of The Year
8x All-NBA
NBA Champion
NBA 75 Snub
Hall of Famer https://t.co/kIbWPQ54z5 pic.twitter.com/PzlstxgbDt
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 12, 2026
In thanking the “naysayers, haters, [and] snakes” that attempted to “destroy” him, Howard stated that a documentary about his life will release later this year, one that will reveal “the truth about EVERYTHING.” Keeping with the theme of No. 12, Howard will dedicate the 12th of every month to a world tour that will give his supporters “a reason to SMILE.”
“You will see how the sheltered little boy from College Park, Georgia who went to the same school from Pre-K to 12th grade then straight to the NBA was taken advantage of by the world. But through it all still managed to keep SMILING,” Howard said of his documentary. “Since I didn’t get a chance to ever have a farewell tour I decided to create a tour not for fans to appreciate me but for me to appreciate them for supporting me all these years and giving me a reason to smile doing what I love.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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The post Vanishing Act: Dwight Howard Announces Retirement appeared first on Ballislife.com.
