Former NBA champion Dwight Howard has announced his retirement from basketball – just days after filing for divorce from wife Amber.
Howard, an eight-time All-Star, revealed he is calling it a career on Thursday in an emotional post on Instagram.
‘Woke up today on the 12th of this month and I figured it’s time to move on from Superman! I’m 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,’ the 40-year-old wrote alongside a video looking back at his journey in the sport.
‘But now I’m taking off the cape and retiring from all basketball to pour into my family and give back to communities worldwide.’
Howard explained that he was inspired to keep playing until the age of 40 after watching other players do the same, before adding: ‘But now I believe my duty will be to pass it down to the next generation.’
After thanking his fans, he then said: ‘Also thank you to the Naysayers, the haters, the snakes, and people that came into my life to try to destroy me. Because everytime yall did… it only made me stronger. When my documentary releases this year the world will know the truth about EVERYTHING!’
Former NBA champion Dwight Howard has announced his retirement from basketball
Howard has retired amid his bitter divorce from wife Amber, also known as Amy Luciani
Howard was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft after choosing to forego college and head straight to the big leagues from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy High School.
He spent eight seasons with the Magic before enjoying three separate stints with the Lakers and also playing for the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
The iconic center, who won the NBA Championship with LA in 2020, made 1,242 appearances in the league and averaged 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game over the course of his career.
After leaving the Lakers in 2022, he wound down his career in Taiwan, Dubai and America’s Big3 league before opting to retire.
Howard’s retirement comes roughly 72 hours after he filed for divorce from Amber, the TV personality also known as Amy Luciani, just over a year on from their wedding.
He set the wheels in motion for their break-up after Amber leveled a series of bombshell accusations against him, while alleging that Child Protective Services had taken his daughter, whom he shares with a previous partner.
Those claims have not yet been confirmed. The Daily Mail has reached out to Howard’s representatives for comment.
Amid their bitter split, TMZ has obtained audio of a furious 911 call Amber recently made to police while claiming that Howard had locked her out of their Georgia mansion.
Howard won the NBA Championship during his second stint with the LA Lakers in 2020
Luciani’s furious 911 call to police has emerged after news of their split was made public
The influencer said she was standing outside in the rain after her husband locked the gate entrance of their 35,000-square-foot home, which she claimed he frequently does when he gets ‘upset’ after their arguments.
She explained how she’d walked through the woods and forced her way through the side gate in the pouring rain, while admitting her shock at the fact their neighbors ‘haven’t called the police on me yet.’
‘I cannot keep being made to sleep in my car when my husband gets mad because he’s a multi-millionaire and he’s an NBA star,’ she told the dispatcher.
Amber also told police that their home is packed with ‘over a thousand’ weapons.
Howard’s filing on Monday marks a swift breakdown for the couple, who only went public with their relationship in December 2024 before marrying in January 2025.
Amber previously filed for divorce in July 2025, just six months into the marriage, before they eventually called it off and reconciled months later.
Within the new documents, Howard noted that the couple has no children together and requested that the court grant him sole access to the marital property.
He also described the marriage as being ‘irretrievably broken’.
The couple only got married a year ago after going public with their relationship in late 2024
Back in December 2024, Amber shared a video of the former Orlando poster boy admiring her diamond engagement ring at a club and explained how they kept their relationship under the radar for some time.
‘I was enjoying you so much out of the public eye but here we are,’ she captioned.
‘Thank you for bringing me back to the word. Anything I say or fuss about, first thing you say is ‘Did you pray about it?’ Then I realized I hadn’t being praying much lately at all. I’m just thankful, happy and ready for everything that’s coming our way.
‘I prayed reallllll deep on a Thursday not knowing 2 days later God would send me a Bible totin, tattooed giant with the same heart as me. Thank you.’
Howard took to the comments with an infinity emoji, a red heart emoji, and a lock and key emoji.
