NBA legend Dwight Howard flexes with 2-words as he cooks AMP streamer Ray before Big 3 season

When Dwight Howard officially retires from the NBA, he will go down as one of the best big man in the modern era. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is a member of the Class of 2025 for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Before the Big 3 season kicked off, Howard dominated AMP streamer Ray in a one-on-one competition live on Twitch.

The former LA Laker played in the NBA for 18 years after the Orlando Magic drafted him in 2004. The 6-foot-10 center earned eight All-Star appearances and eight selections to All-NBA teams during his time with the Magic and Houston Rockets before winning the 2020 NBA championship with the Lakers. He has not officially retired, but the Hall of Famer hasn’t played since 2022.

He will be a member of the Los Angeles Riot in 2025 alongside Jordan Crawford and Elijah Stewart. Former NBA player Nick Young will be the head coach for one of Big 3’s new teams as the league embraces a new format.

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With the season opener just over two weeks away, he warmed up against Ray on camera during his stream, shutting him out in two one-on-one games captured on camera on Wednesday. The center posted the video to his social media, describing the matchup with a short, simple description.

"Fried him," Howard said about the matchup between him and Ray.

As is the case the vast majority of the time, the former NBA player did not struggle at all against the streamer, beating him easily. He gave Riot fans something to look forward to, showing off his long-range shooting, something he was unable to master during his time in the NBA.

His personality makes him a great addition to the league and a good guest for streamers, even if he did embarrass Ray on the court.

This summer will be Dwight Howard's last professional basketball season

After the Philadelphia 76ers moved on from him in 2022, Howard has been trying to make his way back into the NBA. He has played overseas in Taiwan in 2022 and 2024, dominating the foreign leagues. When he signed on and joined Big 3, he and the league announced that after the season ends this summer, his basketball career will be over.

Howard made an impact during his time in the NBA, for better or worse. After dominating in Orlando and leading the Magic to the NBA Finals, he left to join Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. The two former Lakers stars butted heads during their time together, and the team eventually sent him to Houston, wear he settled in next to James Harden.

After the Rockets moved on from him, he bounced around the league and eventually fell out of it. However, Howard's reputation as a force down low and the respect that older players show him has kept his name alive in basketball conversations. How he will be remembered is an intriguing thought, but the Hall of Famer certainly left his mark on the NBA with his play and personality.

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About the author

Zachary Howell

Zachary Howell is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with a degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and over a year of experience in the field.

Being introduced to the digital side of content inspired Zachary to become a writer, and his love of basketball made this an obvious transition.

His favorite team is the OKC Thunder, and Zachary started following them in 2011 when they were on the rise with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. His favorite basketball players from the past are Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Those three came to define their eras of basketball and were dominant without beating their chests too much. Zachary is a big fan of quiet greatness and these three players are good embodiments of that.

When not writing or watching sports, Zachary enjoys reading and exercising, as well as gaming. He loves to be outside and spend time with friends and family, including his three dogs.

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