There is a fine line between competition and chaos, and Dwight Howard’s first step into the BIG3 may have stomped straight across it, erupting a major controversy online. At 6-foot-11, with a Hall of Fame career and, moreover, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-NBA First team nods, an Olympic gold medal, and that unforgettable title run with the Lakers back in 2020, Howard didn’t just join Ice Cube’s league this summer; he detonated into it.

As the BIG3’s 2025 season tipped off in Chicago, it wasn’t Howard’s accolades or his long-awaited debut with the LA Riot that went viral. But it was a full-blown courtside fight. A shoving match between Howard and Lance Stephenson escalated so dramatically that it became the main topic of conversation among basketball fans, spiralling into a violent scuffle that spilled into the stands. As fans jumped out of their seats, security rushed in, and both players were eventually ejected; the incident quickly took center stage over the rest of the opening day games.

The fight, which had been building up with the pair trash-talking to each other throughout the match-up until the then, ended with Howard grabbing Stephenson and both stars falling into the crowd. Speaking on The Breakfast Club, Howard revealed, “He didn’t say anything. He just started putting his hands up like he was going to start throwing punches. So, I’m like, bro, you did it once, you did it twice. What’s going on? It was just too much. Just too much, man. We out there hooping. I just felt bad after soon as I grabbed him, I’m like, man, damn. I’m on TV.” Howard claimed that Lance was the one to start it, and he immediately regretted the brawl that escalated quickly.

Designed to promote pride and grit, the brutality of the league turned into something that threatened the BIG3’s reputation just as it signed a national TV contract with CBS. Dwight Howard directed his attention towards Ice Cube, “I’m with Cube, man. I don’t want to make him look bad cuz we just got the deal with CBS and everybody. So, I’m like, man, I don’t want this to look like what everybody say. Two [ __ ] always fighting on TV. So, I called Cube and, you know, let him know, man, I really apologize for that.” Howard took full responsibility for his action and then said, “You know, we got to be better than that. I got to be better than that.”

Howard’s call to Ice Cube following the game was not only damage control. It was an admission that, in retirement, reputation matters. Ice Cube, appearing alongside Howard on The Breakfast Club, echoed the regret, while sharply pivoting to an unlikely parallel. “I mean, I love trash-talking, you know. I knew it was going to get chippy when they started kind of touching each other, you know. I don’t like that part.” Cube added. “It happens. Look, later on that day, it happened in the WNBA with two white girls. So, it happens,” Cube said, understanding the importance of boundaries and also reflecting the understanding of how athletes have the drive to win. But what WNBA fight was Ice Cube talking about?

From Fever to Firestorm: Caitlin Clark’s Collision Draws parallels with Dwight Howard incident

IceCube’s comments weren’t accidental. They tapped into a broader conversation about how chaos on the court is usually judged differently based on who causes it. The WNBA controversy he referenced was Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham yanking Jacy Sheldon by the head during a late-game altercation, leading to multiple ejections, technicals, and fines. On the other hand, Caitlin Clark, who is arguably the most polarizing and spotlighted player in WNBA history so far, was also caught in a separate scrum earlier that night after being poked in the eye by Sheldon and subsequently shoved to the ground by Marina Mabrey. The incident generated discussion in sports media, with some supporters applauding Cunningham for standing up for her teammate, while others claimed officials were protecting the wrong players.

Cube wasn’t just referencing to the incident. He was calling attention to what amplified, what gets downplayed, and how perceptions are shaped. “Passion is there, guys want to win,” he said. “It just went a little overboard.” The fact that he talked about the Fever fight along with Howard’s fight suggests that there is a double standard at play, where race, gender, and a narrative change how people react.

Dwight Howard, for his part, seems to have taken the lesson seriously, and perhaps we will not see the Hall of Famer in any brawl situations in the future, especially on the court. But subsequently,  Howard made it clear that his focus is on his training, as he aims to emerge victorious in the renowned 3v3 tournament.

But, there was also a silver lining for the league. The incident between Howard and Stephen drew a lot of eyes from across the Hoops community, putting the league in the spotlight. The scuffle became the BIG3’s opening act, and Cube’s response to the WNBA incident involving Clark and Cunningham’s viral rise reflects a league grappling with its identity, intensity, and image. And in the center of it all stands Dwight Howard, who cares more about the court’s reputation than anything else.