Why NBA Star Dwight Howard Joined Ice Cube’s BIG3 League

Dwight Howard exited his first BIG3 game in dramatic fashion.

“Quite a debut,” Howard shared exclusively.

Howard got in a fight with Lance Stephenson late in the second half of the opening game of the eighth season of Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league.

The former NBA players wrestled with each other near the baseline, eventually cascading into a VIP seating section. Both were thrown out of the game.

The fight occurred after Howard was boxing out Stephenson.

“He kind of put his hand up like he was going to throw a punch, and I was going to block it,” Howard said. “Then he did it again. So I’m like, All right now. You can’t keep acting like you’re going to throw punches in my face. It’s a little respect.”

Afterward, Howard’s phone blew up with calls, including one from his crying mother, who he placated.

With the game being nationally televised on CBS, clips of the fight went viral.

“He added some spice to the game,” Ice Cube exclusively shared. “Welcome to the BIG3.”

It was an attention-getting debut and one that the hip-hop star and BIG3 co-founder had long awaited. Ice Cube had called and texted Howard, who last played in the NBA in 2022, for a couple of years, telling him that he’d have fun and they’d treat him like the star he is.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Howard is just the third Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer to play in the BIG3, joining Chauncey Billups and Allen Iverson, though the latter barely played.

It wasn’t just Ice Cube who tried to land the eight-time NBA All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

BIG3 head of player operations Thomas Scott, the son of Los Angeles Lakers legend Byron Scott; former NBA veteran Dion Glover, who is from Atlanta like Howard, and Hall of Famer/BIG3 commissioner Clyde Drexler also reached out.

“It was a team effort,” Ice Cube said.

The effort succeeded in 2025 because Howard finally has finished playing internationally for the Taiwan Mustangs.

“This year is just perfect timing,” he said. “I’ve graduated from five-on-five. It’s only three-on-three for me now.”

Howard’s Business Portfolio

Though Howard is no longer playing in Taiwan, he has a significant stake in international play. He owns both a league (The Asian Tournament) and team (Macau Black Bears), which has both an A and B squad.

“I want guys to have more opportunities to play,” Howard said. “The NBA is not the only place you can play basketball at a high level.”

The Asian Tournament is also not the only entrepreneurial venture for Howard.

He hosts the Above the Rim with DH12 podcast. Featuring 32 episodes since it debuted in 2024, he interviews athletes and hopes to expand to more entertainers.

“Everything has always been about basketball with me for the past 20 years. I want to talk about things above basketball. We still talk about basketball, but there’s so much other things in life,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to really just expand my fanbase and get people a chance to see me outside basketball.”

Howard’s On-Court Performance

On the court Howard started and played about half of the game, recording 10 points and seven rebounds.

All but two of his points came from the free-throw line. The constant fouls demonstrate how much contact there was in the game.

“My first time playing, I didn’t understand the physicality,” he said. “Now that I see it, now I can adjust and get ready for the next game.”

Howard was often going against Reggie Evans, who is known for his bruising play, in addition to Stephenson.

Stephenson spent 10 years in the NBA, and Howard played for 18.

“I have nothing but love for Lance. We’ve been knowing each other for a long time,” Howard said. “Whatever happens on the court, we should leave it there.”

Indeed, Howard seemed to be in a good mood after the game and embraced being an ambassador of his new league, engaging with fans and posing for selfies hours after the Miami 305 defeated his LA Riot squad 50-44 at Allstate Arena in Chicago.

Now that he’s back playing stateside, will this be a one-year stint in the BIG3?

“We’ll see how it goes, but I’m happy and excited to play,” Howard said. “I love Cube, and I’m thankful for this opportunity.”