It’s official. Months after he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Dwight Howard has called it an NBA career. Instead of getting a final shot at in the NBA, a farewell tour and going out in a blaze, his retirement was an anticlimactic rollercoaster. He spent 2025 getting married, separated, entering the Hall of Fame, and reconciling with his wife. As his marriage with Amy Luciani continues to spiral, his retirement brings a somber conclusion to a dramatic.

The 3x DPOY hung up his cape in a deeply personal statement he released on his social media on March 12, 2026. After a storied 20-year career, Howard, who famously dubbed himself “Superman” during his dominant prime, used the announcement to reflect on the immense pressure of his public persona, acknowledging that beneath the iconic smile was a man struggling with the same vulnerabilities as anyone else.

“I 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,” Dwight wrote. He’s spent the last five years in professional limbo, playing overseas and doing NBA workouts only to be rejected. When he was voted into the Hall of Fame, it became a debate on whether he qualified without officially retiring.

He addressed the narrative that he had already left the game, clarifying that while he still felt capable of competing, the professional landscape had shifted. “I know some of you might think I thought he already ‘retired’ but I didn’t… the game retired me! I still had more left to give! Yeah, I did play professionally for 20 years and I’m grateful to be able to say that, but I can’t lie seeing these other players still going at it at age 40 inspired me to want to keep trying.”

Howard concluded his message by thanking both his supporters and his “naysayers,” promising that an upcoming documentary will reveal the “truth about EVERYTHING” regarding his life, from being a “sheltered little boy” in Georgia to a superstar taken advantage of by the world.

He gave a preview of it in a montage accompanying his statement. However, most want to know if ‘truth about everything’ also covers his relationship with Amy Luciani.

Dwight Howard’s braced for a bitter divorce battle

Instead of laying back and spending time with his kids, Dwight Howard’s retirement plan would likely include legal proceedings. The timing of Howard’s retirement coincides with a turbulent period in his personal life.

A year after his secret elopement with Amy Luciania, a brief split and reconciliation, their marriage has imploded for real. Just days prior, on March 9, 2026, Howard filed for divorce from his wife of one year, Amy Luciani (Amber Rose Howard). Contrary to their mysterious split last year, combined with cryptic posts from the rapper, the split has been anything but private.

Luciani took to social media earlier this week to lob serious accusations against the NBA champion, including claims of substance abuse and family instability. Last year, both parties had filed and withdrawn petitions. However, this latest filing appears definitive, with even requests for protective orders by both parties.

This might not be the only “storm” he’s referring to in his statement. A former assistant also reportedly sued the 2020 champ for $40,000 in unpaid wages.

Despite the “snakes” and “haters” Howard alluded to, he plans to spend his retirement pouring into his family and launching a global “D12 Day” tour on the 12th of every month to perform acts of kindness. For Howard, the retirement represents a final shedding of the Superman image in favor of a more authentic, albeit embattled, reality.