In 2015, Dwight Howard was already wondering whether basketball was worth it anymore. After a frustrating season with the Houston Rockets, the former No. 1 pick admitted that the game he had dominated for years had lost some of its joy. “The joy was sucked out of it,” he told Sports Illustrated in 2017, reflecting on that difficult stretch.

Yet Howard was not ready to walk away from everything he had built. “I can’t touch the top of the backboard, but I can damn sure touch right under the top of the backboard. Whatever I lost, whatever was taken from me, I want to get it back,” he said. Nearly a decade later, that desire to keep playing has taken him far beyond the NBA, even after he announced his retirement earlier this year.

On October 17, Black Fortress Tbilisi said Howard had played the final game of his career, just seven months after he declared he was retiring from all basketball. But there is a crucial difference between the two farewells: Howard announced his retirement in March; this time, his Georgian club made the announcement. The 2020 Lakers champion had also teased a possible Philadelphia 76ers reunion days earlier, writing, “Philly what we doing.” Howard has not publicly confirmed that his latest appearance was his last.

The contrast is hard to ignore. Howard had already stepped away from basketball once, only to return to the court in September. Now, after a brief stint in Georgia, the 40-year-old Hall of Famer is facing another apparent ending, with no clear answer about whether he is truly finished.

The retirement that did not last

On March 12, Howard took to social media to announce that he was leaving basketball behind. His message was personal, with the former Superman acknowledging that he was human, that he struggled, and that he wanted to focus on his family and give back to communities around the world.

“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!”

That was the part that stood out. Howard was announcing his retirement while admitting that he still wanted to play. He had spent 20 years as a professional, but watching other players continue competing at 40 had inspired him to keep trying. His decision to step away came with a clear sense of unfinished business.

“I did play professionally for 20 years and Im 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.”

For a player whose career had included three Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight All-Star selections and an NBA championship, there was no shortage of accomplishments to look back on. Howard had already earned his place in basketball history. Still, his own words showed that reaching the end of a great career and feeling ready to leave the game were two different things.

And it did not take long for him to return.

From Mongolia to Georgia

On September 6, Howard posted, “Asia I’m on the way.” The following day, he arrived in Mongolia, and on September 9, he appeared in a preseason game for the SG Apes against Selenge Bodons. It was not a regular-season league appearance, but it marked his return to competitive basketball after announcing his retirement.

Black Fortress Tbilisi announced his signing on September 10. Howard was back in uniform, this time in Georgia, and the club’s announcement suggested that he was ready to make one last appearance on a professional court.

The return was brief, but Howard made an immediate contribution in his Georgian league debut on October 10. Against Iverioni, he recorded 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 17 minutes. He shot 5-of-8 from the field, although Black Fortress still fell 75-70.

It was a productive first outing, but two games in Georgia could not establish whether Howard was capable of returning to the NBA. The level of competition was different, and there was no public evidence that an NBA team was considering him for a roster spot.

Still, Howard’s return had opened another possibility. On the same day as his Georgian debut, he posted a message that quickly drew attention back to the NBA.

Was Philadelphia ever a real possibility?

“Philly what we doing.”

That was Howard’s message on October 10, posted alongside highlights from his Georgian debut. It was brief, playful and open to interpretation. For anyone who remembered his time with the 76ers, the reference was enough to raise the prospect of a reunion.

Howard played 69 games for Philadelphia during the 2020-21 season, averaging 7.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 17 minutes per game. He served as Joel Embiid’s backup, bringing experience and rebounding to the second unit. Before that, he had won the 2020 NBA championship with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

A return to Philadelphia would have reunited him with a franchise he already knew. The timing also offered an interesting wrinkle, because the Sixers had suffered a significant injury to their center rotation during the preseason.

Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles tendon in Philadelphia’s preseason opener against the New York Knicks on October 5, ruling him out for the season. The injury left the Sixers looking for another big man, creating an obvious reason to examine their options.

But an opening in the rotation did not automatically mean an opening for Howard.

Philadelphia was operating under a hard cap at the first apron, with approximately $1.8 million separating the team from that limit. NBA cap analyst Brett Siegel explained the problem on October 7:

“The 76ers, who are $1.8M from their first apron hard cap, won’t be able to use a potential disabled player exception to add another player. Philly can only waive Jabari Walker for cap space to sign someone else or they will need to make a small trade. Significant blow to PHI.”

The restrictions made adding another player difficult, but they did not establish that a Howard signing was impossible. Philadelphia still had roster decisions to make, and there is no public evidence that the team seriously pursued him.

The Sixers’ eventual move offered a clearer picture of their plans. On October 17, the same day Howard played against Tbilisi State University, Philadelphia converted Tacko Fall’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal, using its final two-way roster spot on the 7-foot-6 center.

As The Athletic reported:

“With backup center Ariel Hukporti going down with a torn Achilles tendon in Philadelphia’s preseason opening win against the New York Knicks, the Sixers were focused on giving their third and final two-way spot to a big man.”

The move showed that Philadelphia addressed its need by adding Fall. It did not prove the team had considered Howard and rejected him, but it made the limits of the reunion story clearer. Howard had floated the idea publicly; there was no confirmed agreement, negotiation or expression of interest from the Sixers.

The farewell in Georgia

While the Philadelphia speculation continued, Howard returned to the court for what Black Fortress Tbilisi described as his final career game. On October 17, the Georgian club faced Tbilisi State University and lost 89-82. Howard finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes.

The club’s announcement was direct: “Howard has played the final game of his career and has left the team.”

That statement is the clearest evidence behind the latest farewell, but its source matters. It came from Black Fortress, not from Howard himself. He has not publicly confirmed or denied the club’s characterization since the game.

It is an important distinction because Howard had already used his own words to announce his retirement in March. In October, the club spoke for the occasion, and the public record does not establish whether Howard considers his playing career permanently over.

The sequence also leaves questions about what brought him back in the first place. His March announcement mentioned the desire to focus on his family and pass the game on to the next generation, while also admitting that he still wanted to compete. His September return showed that the decision to step away had not ended his time on the court. But no public explanation has established exactly why he chose to play in Mongolia and Georgia.

A championship legacy, and an unfinished goodbye

Howard’s career had already reached one of its biggest milestones before these latest developments. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 6, 2025, recognizing a career that included eight All-Star selections, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and the 2020 NBA championship.

That Lakers title remains especially important to Howard’s own view of his career. Reflecting on the championship in 2025, he said, “That championship sealed my legacy. People can say whatever they want about my journey, but at the end of the day, I’m an NBA champion.”

LeBron James also praised Howard’s contribution to that run, saying, “Dwight gave us exactly what we needed.” Howard had found a valuable role alongside James and the Lakers, helping the team win a title even as his career moved into a different stage.

The championship gave Howard a defining achievement, and his Hall of Fame induction confirmed his place among basketball’s greats. His latest return does not erase any of that. Nor does playing overseas mean he was close to securing another NBA contract.

What makes this moment interesting is the gap between a completed career and a player’s willingness to keep going. Howard once described the feeling of wanting to reclaim what he had lost. In March, he said he still had more to give. In September, he returned to the court. Now, his Georgian club has said the journey is over.

But until Howard confirms that himself, the latest farewell remains a statement made on his behalf rather than a retirement announcement in his own words. For a player who once admitted that the game had retired him while he still wanted to play, that difference is worth paying attention to.