It seems unlikely that Howard will stay with the Taoyuan Leopards.
Dwight Howard revealed his thoughts on his new contract in an interview with ‘TVBS’ on the 10th (below).
Howard, who is called “Superman,” was once the best center in the NBA. Howard’s move to Taiwan, which was announced last November, generated a lot of buzz. It’s not often that a star with Howard’s name recognition makes it to an Asian league.
The Howard effect was significant. The Taoyuan Leopards of the Taiwan Professional Basketball T1 League welcomed Howard to the team and sold out all four of their home games in less than 10 minutes. Howard made his debut to a raucous crowd and had a tremendous performance, scoring 38 points, grabbing 25 rebounds, nine assists, and four blocked shots.
Off to a great start, Howard averaged 23.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in his first season in the Taiwanese League. He finished fifth in scoring, first in rebounding, and fifth in assists. He also showed a different style of play from his NBA days, attempting more than three 3-pointers per game.
It was a stellar season for Howard, who was named the T1 League’s Best Foreign Player, First Team and Defensive First Team, and an All-Star selection. However, Howard’s arrival did not lead to a rebound in Taoyuan’s performance.
With a foreign lineup that included Howard, fellow NBA legend Deyonta Davis, and KBL veteran Michael Ifebra, Taoyuan went 6-24 and finished last out of six teams. Ipebra showed off his scoring prowess, scoring 50 points in one game, but the team’s fall to the bottom of the table was no laughing matter.
In contract negotiations, the Taoyuan club is asking Howard to take a significant pay cut from this season, which could be as much as 65%. Howard’s salary last season was reportedly in excess of $1 million.
Howard has missed nearly a third of the team’s schedule this season due to injury, and the team wants him to play more games and lead the team to victory. Instead of taking a big cut in his base guaranteed salary, the team offered him a contract that would encourage him to play harder to earn incentive money.
According to Taoyuan’s CEO Zhang Qinwei, Howard’s salary for next season will be determined by a new calculation that takes into account his base salary plus incentives based on wins and appearances. He also emphasized that the club will ensure that Howard’s total salary will not be lower than before if he plays actively and contributes to wins.
The 65 percent cut reportedly left Howard feeling very disappointed. At this rate, it’s unlikely that Howard will play for Taiwan next season 메이저사이트.
“I was offered a salary that was 65% less than when I first came to Taiwan,” Howard said. I felt very disrespected. I thought I brought a lot of value to the team. I was very disappointed. I felt I deserved more. Everything I did was to make Leopards the best it could be.”
In recent interviews with other outlets, Howard has indicated that he still hopes to return to the NBA. How will Howard’s future be determined?