"Gil c'mon to the league & play" - Dwight Howard beckons Gilbert Arenas to leave behind podcasting and join his nascent Taiwan league
Dwight Howard is not finished recruiting former teammates to join his Taiwan Mustangs team set to play in The Asian Tournament. Howard invited Gilbert Arenas to leave his popular podcast and play with him, DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook.
In a post on his X account, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year shared an image of Arenas wearing his Shanghai Sharks uniform. The three-time All-Star played for the Sharks in China before retiring in 2013.
Howard also told Arenas to bring his former Washington Wizards teammates Nick Young and Andray Blatche.
"Aye Gil C’MON to the league & play against me boogie & Quinn 👀 matter fact you, Swaggy P, & Andray," Howard wrote.
Dwight Howard has been on a world tour ever since he went unsigned in the summer of 2022. Howard spent some time playing for the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan's T1 League and Strong Group Athletics in the Philippines last year. He also signed with the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico but never suited up for them.
According to The Taipei Times, the one-time NBA champion is a part-owner of the Taiwan Mustangs. He also revealed that he's one of many shareholders of The Asian Tournament, which will begin play next month. The Taipei round of the tournament is scheduled from July 26 to Aug. 1.
Dwight Howard has brought in DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook as teammates. Cousins has been playing overseas since last suiting up for the Denver Nuggets in 2022. Cook, on the other hand, last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021 and has been playing in Russia, China, Puerto Rico and the NBA G League.
Dwight Howard's Taiwan Mustangs to have a tune-up game vs. Gilas Pilipinas
Before the Taiwan Mustangs resume the next leg of The Asian Tournament, they are set to have a tune-up game against the Philippines National Basketball team or Gilas Pilipinas. It is scheduled for Monday, but it's unclear if Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook can make it in time.
It will be held at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila and will be open to the public. Mustangs head coach Chris Gavina told Spin.ph that he's unsure if all three former NBA players will be present, with Cousins and Cook "eager to play."
"Quinn Cook and Cousins are eager to play but we're trying our best in such a short time to make it happen. But as I told coach Richard (Del Rosario, PH team manager) and coach Jong (Uichico) that I couldn't promise them Dwight, Cook, and Cousins would be able to show up," Gavina said.