Although Dwight Howard is certainly still young and fit enough to do it, don’t expect the eight-time All-Star to be making a return to an NBA court anytime soon. The recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee isn’t closing the door on a possible NBA return, but he does admit it would be difficult to make a return given that he’s prioritizing his kids and family at this stage of his life. “It would be tough,” says Howard in a one-on-one interview. “I have sacrificed so much of my life playing this game, starting at 18 and then being in my 30s now. My kids are at this age where suddenly a couple more years left while they’re in the house, so that’s a struggle.” The 39-year-old stresses that he can “still play,” which he will do for the first time in the BIG3 League for the Los Angeles Riot this summer. But his children are reaching “key” years of their lives, which makes the commitment to a full NBA schedule — training camp starts in September and a team’s season may not end until June — difficult. “I know I can play,” says Howard. “I still can play. I would love to go out there and hoop and play more. But these are such key years in my kids’ lives, and I don’t want to miss that, because you’re only that little kid one time. You know your teenage years and your adolescent years are the quickest years of your life? I want to really be there for them in those moments, so they can always have that remembrance of their father being there.” Howard has five children, all of whom are of school age. Three of them are teenagers and two of them are preteens. In other words, Howard’s children are at an age where they’re playing sports, attending high school or getting ready to go to college — pivotal years as Howard made clear. “Those volleyball games, rugby games, football games, basketball games, cheering and stuff like that, core memories,” says Howard. “I want to be able to have that for my kids before they get too old. I want to have my knees too. I want to have my knees so I can run with my kids. Playing basketball forever I can’t run with my kids no more. My knees will be shot.” The former 18-year NBA veteran literally has nothing left to prove after being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Furthermore, Howard also won an NBA title in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers and was considered the best big man in the league at the peak of his career. However, he’s still leaving the door open on a possible return and is not officially retired. “Of course,” says Howard while smiling when asked if there’s a possibility he could return with an NBA team one day.