NBA legend Dwight Howard officially retires after 20 years. Get details on his $140M net worth, Lakers championship legacy, and the bombshell divorce filing from Amy Luciani.
Dwight Howard Announces NBA Retirement After 20 Years: Career Stats, Championships, Net Worth, and What’s Next For Lakers Legend (Image Source: X)
The "Superman" period has officially been booked as the final act. One of the most physically imposing centres that has ever touched the hardwood, Dwight Howard, declared his retirement from professional basketball on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Through a deeply emotional and candid post on social media, the 40-year-old Lakers icon revealed that although his heart was still eager to fight the competition, the professional environment had changed, "The game retired me. " After a 20-year run in the NBA and time in international leagues like Taiwan's T1 and the BIG3, Howard is giving up his cape to retire to focus on his family and worldwide humanitarian work.
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.
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) March 12, 2026
But now Im taking off the cape and… pic.twitter.com/SyZQAcAeLq
Dwight Howard's peak in terms of stats is still one of the most extraordinary sequences in the history of the NBA. When he was picked first in the 2004 draft by the Orlando Magic, he rapidly turned into the best shot blocker in the league. In fact, Howard is still the only one to have bagged the league's Defensive Player of the Year trophy three times back-to-back. Curiously, he is retiring after his 2025 enshrinement in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, a rather rare irony that points to his longtime disappearance from the NBA since 2022.
| Career NBA Statistics | League All-Time Ranking | |
| Total Rebounds | 14,627 (11.8 RPG) | 10th All-Time |
| Total Blocks | 2,228 (1.8 BPG) | 13th All-Time |
| Total Points | 19,485 (15.7 PPG) | Top 60 All-Time |
| All-Star Selections | 8 (2007–2014) | A perennial elite force. |
| DPOY Awards | 3 (2009, 2010, 2011) | Only player to "Three-Peat." |
| Double-Doubles | 743 | Top 15 in NBA History. |
Over two decades, Howard built a huge financial empire. He raked in big money from contracts with the Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers. He has major endorsement deals with Adidas and Peak.
Howard isn’t slipping quietly out of the spotlight; he’s just changing gears. Even with the drama of a divorce from Amy Luciani hitting him this week, he’s sticking to his “smile through the storm” mindset as he moves forward. Instead of a typical farewell tour, the 40-year-old is launching the “D12 Day” World Tour.
Every month on the 12th, he’ll show up in a new city, run basketball clinics, and do good deeds—no big sendoff, just real moments with real people. He’s also dropping a documentary later this year.
