The Eight-Time All-Star Will Join the Los Angeles Riot for His Final Season of Professional Basketball
Tipping Off June 14, 2025
LOS ANGELES – April 9, 2025 — Today, the BIG3 announced that legendary NBA veteran Dwight Howard
has signed with the Los Angeles Riot and will play his final season of professional basketball with the
BIG3 in summer 2025. The 2004 first-overall pick achieved numerous accolades during his nearly two decade-long career, including his recent appointment to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Howard will tip off the league’s eighth season on Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Chicago, IL at Allstate Arena at 4pm ET, live on CBS. Pre-sale for the first four dates is now live. All tickets are on sale on April 11 at 10am ET at big3.com/tickets.
“On behalf of the entire league, I want to be the first one to welcome Dwight Howard to the BIG3,” said
BIG3 CEO Ice Cube. “His legacy speaks for itself, and he still has fun playing the game. We all know that
Dwight Howard can do more on the basketball court than he was able to show in the NBA. So, it’s going
to be nice to see him open up his game and show his all-around skills on the court in the BIG3. He’s 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. We are honored that he has chosen to bring his game
and star power to the BIG3. I look forward to seeing him challenge our 3-on-3 stars this summer and see
if he can win himself another Championship.”
Howard will join the Riot as a Player-Captain, alongside Co-Captains Jordan Crawford and Elijah Stewart
under Head Coach Nick Young. Young, Crawford, and Stewart won the BIG3 Championship together as
part of the Enemies in 2023. The LA Riot will make their hometown debut at the Intuit Dome on
Saturday, August 9, 2025. The full 2025 BIG3 schedule is available HERE.
“I’m excited to join Ice Cube and the BIG3 – especially right after being inducted into the basketball Hall
of Fame,” said Howard. “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.”
Howard played 18 seasons in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets,
Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers. He won an NBA
Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in
three consecutive seasons, to the All-NBA First Team in five consecutive seasons for a total of eight
appearances, and selected for the All-Star Game in an astounding eight consecutive seasons. He led the
league in rebounds for five of his 18 seasons, and in blocks in the ’09 and ’10 seasons. Howard is also a
basketball media personality and sports executive; he hosts the Above the Rim Podcast and is a coowner of professional basketball league The Asian Tournament.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dwight to the BIG3 this season,” BIG3 President Jeff Kwatinetz. “Simply put,
Dwight is a legend. He has more accolades than I can count – chief among them being a newly enshrined Hall of Famer, NBA Champion, and Player of the Year. Beyond his basketball prowess, it’s his positive mindset, determination, and perseverance that has defined his illustrious career. I can’t wait to see how his ferocity and winning pedigree play out on our court, and I know our fans feel the same.”
This is the latest in a series of announcements in preparation for season eight. Howard joins a roster of
several significant off-season signings for the league including Montrezl Harrell and Wesley Johnson. In
2025, the league will transition to a city-based model with eight all-new teams representing home
markets in Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Detroit, MI, the DMV metropolitan area, Houston, TX, Los
Angeles, CA, and Miami, FL. Production is also currently underway for a first-of-its-kind BIG3 docuseries,
that among other highlights from past seasons, will chronicle the road to the 2025 Championship and
the personalities of players such as Howard. The fully financed project is being produced by veteran
Tucker Tooley, of Den of Thieves and The United States vs. Billie Holiday fame.
To learn more about the BIG3 go to BIG3.com and follow @thebig3 on X and Instagram.
BIG3 SIGNS NBA CHAMPION DWIGHT HOWARD FOR 2025 SEASONABOUT BIG3:
On January 11, 2017, the BIG3 was born. The first-ever professional FIREBALL3 league is the brainchild of
producer, actor, and music legend Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, who shared a
vision of a player-centric league focused on entertainment and innovation. The BIG3 is a league with no
garbage minutes, where trash talk is allowed, defense is emphasized, fast-paced action, and where
every point –whether it’s a 4-point or 3-point shot – counts. Any given BIG3 team has hall of famers,
icons and trailblazers, and the next best 3-on-3 player.
The league has led the sports industry in diversity and opportunity, becoming the first professional
sports league to implement a mental health policy, favor CBD as a pain management alternative to
opioids, enlist female coaches of men, and appoint a black Commissioner in Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler,
who is also professional sports first former player serving as Commissioner. The inaugural CEO was the
legendary, incomparable Raider executive Amy Trask. This January 2024, BIG3 co-founder Ice Cube was
honored at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, where he received the inaugural Ice Cube
Impact Award, acknowledging individuals making substantial contributions to their community, the first
non-player to be recognized. Founders Ice Cube and Jeffrey Kwatinetz are missioned to better society as
BIG3 pursues business success while also helping to break down stereotypes, promote diversity in
sports, create opportunities for black, brown, and female athletes beyond the court, and support the
black, youth and basketball communities overall.
CONTACT:
Hannah Palacios, BIG3 (hannah@big3.com)
