Dwight Howard thanks Philippines after Strong Group stint

MANILA, Philippines – Grizzled NBA veteran Dwight Howard paid gratitude to the Philippines for giving him a golden opportunity to strut his stuff anew on the international stage with Strong Group Athletics.

Albeit Strong Group fell short of achieving its championship goal, Howard cherished the experience with the squad in a commendable runner-up finish behind Al Riyadi in the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship.

“We came together for two weeks, only had a few practices together, and fought all the way to the championship,” said the former NBA three-time Defensive of the Player awardee.

“Charles Tiu is a great coach and the Philippines is a great country. Thank you all for having me and allowing me to represent your country.”

The 38-year-old Howard, who had previous visits to the country, played for a Philippine team for the first time with hopes of helping it bring home the Dubai crown.

Proving that he still has a lot left in the tank, the seasoned anchor normed 17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds through eight games that ended in a 77-74 finale heartbreaker against the Lebanese bets.

Howard teamed up with UAAP MVP and now Gilas Pilipinas returnee Kevin Quiambao of La Salle, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, for a formidable duo that led Strong Group to the near-perfect championship run.

Tiu, whose coaching staff included Brian Goorjian, Topex Robinson and TY Tang, could not be prouder of Howard, Quiambao and his entire wards’ tall stand against the top clubs in the Middle East despite not bringing home the cup.

The team owned by Jacob and Frank Lao also thanked the massive support from all the Filipinos in Dubai who made them feel like champions — and at home.

“(We’re) back in Manila. We’re still hurting from being on the wrong end of a buzzer-beater in our championship game. We’re sorry we couldn't bring home the chip but we hope we were able to captivate and put on a good show,” said Tiu.

“We fought until the end despite battling injuries but I guess it wasn't meant to be. We just want to thank all the Filipinos in Dubai who constantly came to our games and cheered their hearts out and supported the team. Thank you for all the well wishes! This is just the beginning for the Strong Group and there will be more to come.”

Meanwhile, it can be recalled that Mighty Sports did the country proud in 2020 by winning the event undefeated. Owned by the family of Wongchuking, Mighty Sports defeated Al Riyadi of Lebanon, 92-81, to become the first club team outside of Middle East to win the prestigious event.