Dwight Howard: 'I Was Depressed Like Hell. I Know I'm Supposed to Be Playing in' NBA

Former superstar NBA center Dwight Howard divulged this week that he was initially depressed when he began playing professional basketball in Taiwan due to his desire to be the in NBA.

Speaking on Above The Rim with DH 12 (h/t HoopsHype), Howard discussed the headspace he was in when he made the decision to play in Taiwan before expressing appreciation for the chance to continue his career as a pro basketball player (beginning at the 1:16:20 mark):

"I was depressed like hell. I know I'm supposed to be playing in the NBA. I know I do. But I can't sit up there and let this stop me from being who I am. Coming over here, these people gave me wings. I never take these people for granted because they gave me the opportunity to come just hoop. And the people here showed me so much love."

The 38-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds across 60 games, largely serving as the team's backup center behind Anthony Davis when AD was healthy. He remained a solid rebounder and a decent defender, though his limitations as a floor-spacer or a defender in space on the perimeter made him another questionable fit on L.A.'s roster during the ill-fated Russell Westbrook era.

That was the theme for those Lakers: A roster of talented but mismatched players who didn't naturally fit together and generally underachieved to the tune of a 33-49 record.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and one-time champion, wasn't the most egregious of those questionable roster decisions. He was a rotational player at that point in his career, after all, and a fine option as a backup center.

But it also wasn't shocking when reports emerged before the 2021-22 trade deadline that the Lakers were shopping the big man. And it wasn't a huge surprise when he went through the summer without picking up on a team and ended up outside of the NBA in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

The former Orlando Magic superstar big man signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the Taiwanese T1 League in 2022, and he earned numerous accolades during his debut season in Taiwan.

Howard was named the T1 League Most Valuable Import, and he was selected to the All-T1 League First Team and T1 League All-Defensive First Team. He was an All-Star and won the All-Star Game MVP Award as well.

He has since signed with the Taiwan Mustangs for the 2024-25 season, and he appears poised to continue his career in Taiwan unless an NBA team comes calling.