WATCH: Dwight Howard sinks a deep money ball to score 15 points in Taiwan 3-point contest

What do you think of when you hear the name “Dwight Howard”? His three Defensive Player of the Year awards probably spring to mind. So did his victory in the 2008 Dunk Contest. In general, he was at his best as a basketball player when he stayed close to the basket.

It was all the more surprising then that Howard competed in the Taiwanese 3-point competition on Tuesday. And all in all? Howard actually did pretty well. He started slowly, making only a single attempt on the first two bars. But then he got hot, making four of his five looks from the top of the arc and the second deep money ball, eventually ending with 15 points.

If you’re wondering why Howard is in a 3-point contest, remember that the Taiwanese league was formed in 2021 and that was their first All-Star break. Howard, a former NBA star, is the kind of headliner this type of event needs. He was grateful for the invitation.

“I just want to say thank you to all the fans here in Taiwan who voted for me and the rest of my teammates,” Howard said in a social media post. “I really appreciate each and every one of you. Can’t wait to get to the All Star Game to have fun and see you all. Thanks alot.”

All in all, a 15-point performance is relatively impressive. That’s better than Julius Randle (13) and Kevin Hurter (8) this season in Salt Lake City. You won’t win the competition at 15, but Howard did better than anyone could have hoped.

In the NBA, Howard attempted just 103 3-pointers in his entire career. He made 22 of those, but it was a shot he was working on ahead of the Games and speaking publicly about adopting. His coach Justin Zormelo famously told the Washington Post that Howard “wants to evolve into Anthony Davis, into Kevin Durant” in 2018. That never quite happened, but Howard is 10 of 38 from deep in Taiwan this season. He was able to show a lot more of his game abroad and handle the ball a lot more often than in the NBA.

Howard is averaging 25.6 points per game for the Taoyuan Leopards. He’s nearing the end of his basketball career, so he’s taking every last opportunity the game continues to offer him. How many great men can even say they’ve ever competed in a 3-point match? It’s one last feather in Howard’s cap.