Dwight Howard is no longer happy with the Taoyuan Leopards.
The former NBA player called out the team amidst heated contract negotiation claiming that team management offered him "65 percent than what they gave him the first time he came to Taiwan." In an interview with TVBS, the former Howard revealed his displeasure about the 'lack of transparency' in his contract and the alleged pay cut.
"I felt like that was very disrespectful. I felt like I brought value to the team. They asked me for a 65% decrease in payment - I was very disappointed. I felt like I deserve more," Howard said.
Given that Howard missed Leopards' 10 games (out of 30) in the regular season, CEO Chang Chien-wei mentioned how the former's contract would be based on a new calculation method next season, which entails him playing more games in the future.
Despite Howard winning the Best Foreign Player Award last season, Chang emphasized how the new incentive package is laid out for 'Superman' to play 'hard and seriously.'
Taoyuan Leopards endured one of the worst records in franchise history, finishing 6-24 (.200).
The 8-time NBA All-Star's monthly salary in his one-year contract was rumored to be $200,000, as per FTV News. Howard earned over $2.5 million in each of his last three seasons in the NBA.
The 3-time NBA DPOY averaged 23.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, and five assists per game in Taiwan. Showing he has the potential to dominate the rim, he even said he wanted to help the Sacramento Kings win an NBA Championship earlier this month.
"I'm not retired from the NBA just yet," Dwight told The OBSERVER. "I would love to help the Sacramento Kings contend for a title. Even though I believe their team is pretty much set."
At this point, an NBA return seems more likely, given Howard's contract situation. That said, it's safe to assume the 37-year-old will no longer recruit NBA stars to join him in Taiwan.