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Dwight Howard has always been a special character on and off the court, which Lakers fans have grown keenly aware of. It’s his over-the-top demeanor that made him equal parts lovable when things were going well and frustrating when things weren’t going so well.
It’s that larger-than-life personality that makes his next career a logical next step in many ways.
This week, WWE held an open tryout in Nashville where Dwight Howard made not just an appearance, but took part in. Howard got up on stage during the tryout and cut an actually impressive promo, then did the same with fellow wrestlers later in the day.
Dwight Howard didn’t just cut this one promo and leave. He’s been here for hours. He’s now cutting promos with the other attendees at the WWE Tryout in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/J9HQQq23cN
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 28, 2022
This isn’t all a gimmick or a fun offseason trip, either. While Howard said he wanted to play in the NBA still next season, the WWE was something on his mind for his next career whenever his time on the court comes to an end.
Dwight Howard said he would like to play in the NBA next season but is ready to transition and join the WWE if that does not happen. His NBA career began in Orlando and he said he’s open to beginning his WWE career in Orlando where the WWE Performance Center is located. pic.twitter.com/VnT0bA1LCB
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 28, 2022
Howard would be the latest of many that have made the jump from NBA to the wrestling ring. In the late ‘90s, Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone had memorable moments in the wrestling ring months after dueling on the court in the Finals.
More recently, Shaq — seemingly Dwight’s mortal enemy — appeared on AEW and took a pretty big bump, literally and figuratively, through a table in the match as well.
Nothing has topped LaVar Ball’s appearance on WWE, though. Even if he didn’t actually wrestle, LaVar stole the show by simply being LaVar.
Dwight’s still a big enough name that he could draw some fans in. Clearly, based on his promos, he’s a fan and someone that would be more than capable of talking on the mic, a la LaVar Ball.
Would it stretch as far as him getting in the ring? WWE did just sign Logan Paul to a contract through 2023, so they’re clearly still open to making deals with all kinds of celebrities.
In the grand scheme of things, Dwight making the jump from NBA to WWE makes a ton of sense. It seems like a pretty good bet that he’ll appear in a wrestling ring at some point in his post-NBA career, whenever that ultimately comes.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
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