Whenever Dwight Howard calls it a career in the NBA, he may have his next big opportunity awaiting him in the wrestling ring. WWE executive Paul Levesque (better known by his ring name Triple H) was extremely impressed with Howard after the basketball star attended a company tryout in July.
In an interview with Sporting News, Levesque was sure to note that Howard would have to put the work in to become a WWE Superstar, but was very entertained by the former Lakers center at the Nashville tryout.
“The ball’s in his court,” Levesque said. “It’s a funny thing, Dwight, in the conversations we had was like, ‘You know, I really want to do this. I’m serious, I really want to do this.’ We hear that a lot, and there’s a difference between saying, ‘I want to do this,’ and putting in the grind and doing the work to get there.
“[He] came by our tryouts in Nashville, was incredibly entertaining. Jumping in promos by himself and then with others, incredibly entertaining. Really driven to want to do this, it’s just a matter for him, he’s got a lot of things going on, right? So when he says,’ Hey I want to give this a shot,’ he’s got my phone number. All he’s gotta do is call me, and we’ll see what can happen. And if he’s willing to put in the grind and the drive that guys like Logan Paul, and Bad Bunny and Tyson Fury are willing to put in, then let’s go.”
Time will tell whether Howard is interested in putting in the work to become a reliable celebrity-turned-WWE personality. The 36-year-old is currently an NBA free agent after playing for the Lakers last season, his third stint with the team.
Howard helped L.A. to an NBA championship in 2020, the first of his career. He is an eight-time All-Star and has made eight total All-NBA teams during his career, with five straight first-team selections from 2008 to ’12. The former No. 1 pick will likely make his way into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame after he opts to retire, but he hasn’t indicated that he is ready to make that decision yet.
More Wrestling Coverage:
Daily Cover: The Minor Leaguers Who Sprung a Union on MLB
