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Dwight Howard celebrates with LeBron James after the Lakers defeat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Dwight Howard is the splash signing of the Los Angeles Riot, Ice Cube's BIG3 three-on-three basketball league announced Wednesday.
Howard, 39, promises to have a busy summer highlighted by two days in particular.
The former Lakers center will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 5, part of a class that also includes Carmelo Anthony, WNBA stars Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, coach Billy Donovan and the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team (of which Howard was a member).
And Howard will lead the Riot in their one and only home game of 2025, scheduled for Aug. 9 at the Intuit Dome.
That's right, the lone opportunity for L.A. fans to watch the Riot in their home city is to circle that day on a calendar, purchase a ticket and attend the game. The BIG3 format is for all eight teams to play on the same day in the same city, so four games will take place in succession at the Clippers' $2-billion arena in Inglewood.
Read more:Straight Outta L.A.: Ice Cube's new BIG3 team is the Riot and 'here to shake things up'
Each team will host a similar one-day event televised by CBS. The eight-game regular season begins June 14 at Allstate Arena, home of the Chicago Triplets, and ends Aug. 17 at American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Power. The championship game is TBA.
The Riot will be coached by Nick Young and include co-captains Elijah Stewart and Jordan Crawford in addition to Howard. Young, Stewart and Crawford won the BIG3 Championship as part of the Enemies in 2023.
Stewart, 29, played at USC from 2014 to 2018 and at Westchester High. Crawford, 36, played six years in the NBA after being a first-round draft pick of the New Jersey Nets in 2010.
Howard joins a BIG3 roster of several significant offseason signings for the league including Montrezl Harrell and Wesley Johnson. In addition to L.A., Chicago and Dallas, the BIG3 home markets include Boston, Detroit, Houston, Miami and Washington, D.C.
“I’m excited to join Ice Cube and the BIG3 — especially right after being inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame,” Howard said in a statement. “Words can’t describe how grateful I am for these opportunities. I can’t wait to join the LA Riot and try to bring another championship to the city of LA. But, the ultimate goal I have is to help the league go global.”
Read more:'Do we need to throw hands?' Shaquille O'Neal-Dwight Howard beef still going strong in 2025
Expanding the BIG3 outside the U.S. is part of Ice Cube's plan for the league, which enters its eighth season. First on the agenda, though, is staging a season where for the first time teams are associated with cities.
"Dwight Howard is a perfect fit for the league, not just because of his athleticism and size but also due to our shared desire to grow the game of basketball around the world," Ice Cube said in a statement. "We are honored that he has chosen to bring his game and star power to the BIG3."
Howard averaged 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in 1,242 games across 18 NBA seasons that included three separate stints with the Lakers. He led the NBA in rebounds for the fifth time in 2012-13 with the Lakers, returned in 2019-2020 to help them win the NBA championship and finished his career in L.A. in 2021-22.
Howard played for seven NBA teams and was paid $248 million during his career. He played in Taiwan and Thailand the last two years.
“On behalf of the entire league, I want to be the first one to welcome Dwight Howard to the BIG3,” Ice Cube said. “His legacy speaks for itself, and he still has fun playing the game."
Read more:Why didn't Dwight Howard return to Lakers after 2020 title? He and Jeanie Buss clear the air
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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