Dwight Howard Announces Retirement and Fans Are Surprised Because of One Major Fact
NBA superstar Dwight Howard is officially hanging it up. On March 12, he announced his retirement from basketball. Taking Instagram, the NBA champion (winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020) stated:
“Woke up today on the 12th of this month and I figured it’s time to move on from Superman! Im 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 Im 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!”
You can check out the full, lengthy post on Instagram below. What’s remarkable about this announcement is the shocking realization of what this retirement means.
Dwight Howard Was Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame Before He Officially Retired
In order for a basketball player to be eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a player must be retired for two full seasons. With that being said, Howard became a Hall of Famer in September 2025. Here’s where things get shocking for fans.
Howard was still playing basketball professionally up until 2023, when he was playing in Taiwan in the T1 League. In terms of the NBA, he last played with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021-2022 season. And it wasn’t until today, March 12, 2026, that Howard officially announced his retirement from the sport. Knowing all of that, some fans are taking to X (formerly Twitter) to point out the glaring irony of him being inducted into the Hall of Fame without even announcing his retirement. To be clear, they aren’t refuting his spot among the greats of the league. Take a look at a few of the posts found on social media.
Dwight Howard really got to the Basketball HOF before being officially retired?!
— JBond (@jbondwagon) March 12, 2026
Legendary stuff pic.twitter.com/cm3IpvkR3E
Today I learned that Dwight Howard was not retired from basketball prior to today. https://t.co/W2D0QnBODl
— Jake Marsh (@JakeMarsh18) March 12, 2026
Hall of Famer Dwight Howard officially announces retirement from basketball
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) March 12, 2026
Howard has not stepped on an NBA court since 2022 and has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame. But he never officially retired from the NBA. Until today.https://t.co/joEt70ffLM
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