BASKETBALL / Dwight Howard shouts out Taiwan in U.S. Basketball Hall of Fame speech

Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) Retired NBA superstar Dwight Howard gave Taiwan a special mention as he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Sunday.

In his roughly 13-minute enshrinement speech, the eight-time NBA All-Star thanked players who had inspired him -- including one of his four presenters, Shaquille O'Neal, also a Hall of Famer who had often criticized him -- and reflected on his life journey through the sport.

"Thanks to basketball, I've been able to see the world at a whole different angle. This sport has changed my reality, and it's opened up doors, allowing me to make connections globally."

"Shout out to Taiwan, even to the point of starting my own basketball league," said the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, also known as "Superman."

The three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year played for the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan's T1 League during the 2022-23 season after 18 seasons in the NBA. He averaged a league-leading 16.2 rebounds along with 23.2 points and five assists in 20 games.

Despite the Leopards' absence from the playoffs, Howard became a sensation during his seven-month stay, drawing a sellout crowd of 15,000 for his debut game and about 160,000 online viewers on the league's YouTube stream.

In 2024, Howard returned to Taiwan in late July to play for the Taiwan Mustangs in the Asian Tournament. He revealed earlier that year on social media that he owned part of the league and the Mustangs, saying he hoped the league would raise Taiwan's competitiveness in the sport.

Howard, who joined seven other individual inductees this year, won an NBA title in 2020 and also captured five rebounding crowns and two blocks titles.

Like Carmelo Anthony, who visited Taiwan in late August, he was also honored Sunday as a member of the U.S. Olympic "Redeem Team" that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Born to a mother who had suffered seven miscarriages, Howard closed his speech with a message encouraging people to savor each moment.

"This is your universe. This is your one song. How do you want your song to sound when people hear it? Will they want to throw it out or run it back? And remember, you only die once, but you live every day," he said.