Dwight Howard retired from basketball six months ago. “Superman,” as it turns out, was not ready to keep the cape off for long.
Black Fortress Tbilisi announced Howard’s signing on Wednesday, adding the former Los Angeles Lakers center to its roster in the Georgian Super League. The announcement featured Howard wearing the club’s black-and-orange No. 12 jersey beneath the words, “It’s official. Signed.”
Howard is expected to join the Georgian team in October. The length and financial terms of his contract were not disclosed.
The agreement continues an unlikely international journey for the 40-year-old Hall of Famer, who announced March 12 that he was retiring from all basketball.
“But now I’m taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family,” Howard wrote in his farewell message.
Howard said he still believed he could play but felt it was time to pass the game to another generation. His retirement ultimately lasted only through the summer.
Dwight Howard Hinted at Basketball Return
Howard had already signaled that another international chapter was unfolding before Black Fortress announced its deal.
On Sept. 6, he wrote on X, “Asia I’m on the way,” before sharing photos from Mongolia two days later with the message, “I might live in Mongolia one day.”
Those posts coincided with his appearance for the SG Apes in a Sept. 9 preseason game against the Selenge Bodons. One day later, Black Fortress revealed that Howard’s basketball travels would continue in Georgia.
The latest agreement represents a more formal reversal of his retirement announcement. It also fits something Howard admitted in March: Watching other players compete at age 40 had inspired him to keep trying.
Georgia’s Super League is the country’s highest level of professional basketball. Howard’s name gives Black Fortress an internationally recognizable centerpiece and adds another unusual destination to his post-NBA career.
Former NBA Star’s International Journey
Howard last appeared in the NBA with the Lakers during the 2021-22 season. He then joined the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan, where he averaged 23.2 points, 16.2 rebounds and five assists during the 2022-23 season.
His next stop carried a connection to one of basketball’s most passionate fan bases.
Howard joined the Philippines-based Strong Group Athletics for the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship. He helped the Philippine team reach the final, including a 26-point, 20-rebound performance in its semifinal victory over Beirut.
Strong Group ultimately finished second after losing to Al Riyadi in the championship game.
Howard subsequently joined the BIG3’s Los Angeles Riot for the 2025 season before announcing his retirement the following March. His appearances in Mongolia and upcoming move to Georgia have now extended a playing career that began when Orlando selected him first overall in the 2004 NBA draft.
Dwight Howard Revived Career With Lakers
Howard’s Lakers history included three separate tenures.
His first arrival in 2012 produced a disappointing season alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. He returned in 2019 on a non-guaranteed contract, accepted a supporting role behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis and helped Los Angeles win the 2020 NBA championship.
Howard finished his NBA career with eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA honors, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and five rebounding titles. He entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025 both individually and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic “Redeem Team.”
His legacy was secure before his retirement announcement. His latest signing shows the career itself was not.
Howard may have taken off the cape in March, but Black Fortress has given Superman another reason to wear No. 12.
Former Lakers Champion Finds New Team Months After Announcing Retirement