Dwight Howard’s Dubai rejection won’t stop Philippine adventure as he reveals experience playing there

Dwight Howard, the 8-time NBA All-Star seems to live by Ricky Rubio’s famous line, “I live a life where I never regret any decision.” But for Dwight, it’s not just a motto, it’s the way of life. For the 2025 Dubai tournament, many teams made offers for him left and right, but he didn’t even blink. He stuck with Strong Group and the reason behind it is actually quite simple. His loyalty to his “Pinoy fans.” But how did Dwight Howard build such a strong bond with the Filipino fans?

“I was offered to play for a couple of teams in the Dubai tournament, but I can’t go against my Pinoy fans,” Dwight shared on his social media. That one line says it all. For the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, his fans aren’t just supporters, they’re family. And cross them? Not an option. Respect, right? But hold on, it gets better. Dwight has stories and memories from when he got on the field with the team. You will love it here, trust me.

On a recent podcast with Andray Blatche aka Kuya Dray, Dwight shared some fond memories of playing with the team. Kuya Dray chimed in and said: “I don’t care where we went to play, the whole arena was all Filipino.” And he’s not wrong, those fans really bring some off-the-charts energy. After all, that’s the true essence of basketball, isn’t it? When you have a crowd like that behind you, it’s like fuel for greatness. They lift you, push you and make the impossible feel easy.

Dwight couldn’t have agreed more saying, “I had a chance to play for the Philippine team and it was so beautiful. The fans give you wings, you feel like you can do anything.” And he’s right. For someone like Dwight, who gave his all for the Strong Group in the 2024 Dubai tournament, it’s even more meaningful. He averaged 17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds over eight games. He led the team all the way to the final, it’s not just playing that gives one hundred and ten percent on the pitch.

Dwight is back for the 2025 Dubai tournament and this is his chance to help his team redeem themselves after last year’s loss in the final. All Pinoy fans will be at the corner of their seats. Could this be the tournament where they finally take the throne as the best?

Let’s take a short detour and see what Andray Blatche revealed to Dwight on the podcast about his team. And sorry to break it to you, but reports suggest this may be his last stint with them.

Dwight’s teammate Andray Blatche shares memories

“Playing the World Cup with the Philippines my first year, what we did was some of the most unheard of awesomeness I’ve seen in my entire career, bro,” Andray Blatche shared. And damn, can you imagine the pressure he was under? Still, he sparked a phenomenon in the 2014 FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup. Over just 5 games, his PPG was 21.2, RPG was 13.8, and his EFF was a solid 22.4. It is a beast on the rise.

When Dwight asked Andray how he ended up on the Philippines team, he said: “I was told they wanted JaVale McGee first to be their center for the national team … the coach wanted somebody, you know, who can drive and shoot and all that stuff, and somebody mentions my name.” And just like that boom! The next thing he knew, he was already on the team.

The 2025 Dubai tournament is huge for both Dwight and Andray as it could be their last time playing together for the Philippines. Fans are really excited and it’s easy to see why. They want to see some great moments on the pitch from this duo and so do we.