The T1 League’s Taoyuan Leopards sold out 60,000 tickets to its four home games in November and December within ten minutes after they were available on the KKTIX ticketing website on Thursday, following the franchise’s announcement that former NBA superstar Dwight Howard will play for it this season, according to the club on Thursday.
The “Dwight Howard effect” has led the franchise to issue tickets for special courtside seats for fans who want to see the eight-time NBA All Star up close, and details will be announced at a press conference on Saturday, the Leopards said in a Facebook post.
Howard, nicknamed “Superman,” is scheduled to land in Taiwan at Taoyuan International Airport at 10:45 p.m. Thursday, and will make his first public appearance at Saturday’s press conference prior to the Leopards’ workout.
He is planning to play in the Leopards’ opening game of the season on Nov. 19 against the New Taipei CTBC DEA at the National Taiwan Sport University Arena, the Leopards’ home court.
Following the announcement of 36-year-old Howard’s signing with the Leopards, the news has taken Taiwan by storm as well as surprise.
In an interview with the press on Tuesday, Taoyuan Leopards General Manager Brett Su (蘇翊傑) said the whole negotiation process was conducted in secret for nearly three months.
“The biggest uncertainty was Howard’s will to come,” Su said, but his concerns were quickly dispelled as his call was received positively by the American Superman.
The only condition mentioned by Howard during negotiations was a cozy apartment, Su said.
“He wants to play. He wants to bring something very different to Taiwan’s basketball scene,” Su said, affirming that Howard has agreed to play for the whole season.
Asked whether Howard’s arrival would create something similar to the “Manny craze” in Taiwan in 2013 –referring to the whirlwind stint in the CPBL by the then 41-year-old former MLB slugger Manny Ramírez — Su said “I definitely believe Howard would have a bigger effect than him (Ramírez).”
Ramírez played just 49 games for the EDA Rhinos in the 2013 season before his early departure on June 13.
While Su refused to specify Howard’s salary, he revealed the franchise has ensured that Howard felt “quite satisfied” with the amount, which will be more than US$200,000 per month.
Su also noted that ticket prices will not be increased despite Howard’s addition, as a way to thank fans for their support.
In a prerecorded video released in tandem with the Leopards’ announcement on Tuesday, Howard shouted out to Taiwan “with open arms, big hug and big smiles,” saying he “can’t wait to touch down in Taiwan and start playing for the Taoyuan City Leopards.”
Howard, who has visited Taiwan four times, in 2005, 2010, and 2013, will come for the fifth time as the biggest star in Taiwan’s pro basketball history.
Standing six feet 10 inches and weighing 265 pounds, according to Basketball Reference, Howard has had an illustrious career in the NBA.
Despite his controversial absence from the list of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced last October, the 2004 NBA first pick has earned countless accolades and one ring, and according to Taoyuan Leopards’ Su, Howard’s addition could “turn the Leopards into Taiwan’s strongest team and boost the overall level of play in the league.”
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel