Longtime NBA star Dwight Howard, measuring 6 feet, 10 inches tall, had to duck beneath the door frame as he entered the Oglethorpe County Senior Center, which was packed with residents, music and cheers.
Howard was a surprise celebrity guest at the center on Friday to host a game of “Family Feud.”
Dressed in a gray suit and fake mustache to imitate Steve Harvey, the show’s host, Howard smiled and waved as he made his way to the front of the room. He said Harvey couldn’t be there, but he was a taller, younger — and more handsome — replacement.
“All the people here are all my family and friends,” Howard said.
And even if not friends, they are neighbors.
Howard owns a 700-acre farm in Oglethorpe County, where his parents live. He said he has owned the farm, which is home to donkeys, cows, deer and more, for about six years.
Howard’s mother, Sheryl Howard, is the activities coordinator for the senior center and arranged the event, center Director Corie Robinson said.
“It was a big secret until today,” Robinson said. “Even the staff didn’t know.”
The Georgia native was a three-time NBA defensive player of the year and played for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and various other teams during his 18-year career. After leaving the league following the 2021-2022 season, Howard played for the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan in 2022.
Howard owned his role as host, and charismatically led the two teams — differentiated by red and blue shirts — through rounds of questions.
“Name something you need if you want to dress up like Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’,” Howard said, holding the microphone up to Gloria Peterman. “I would have a pretty ribbon in my hair,” she replied.
Howard dramatically paused and acted confused before finally exclaiming, “Ding! She got it correct!”
Each round of questions brought with it a round of laughter from the crowd.
“He is definitely his mother’s child,” said Peterman, who was all smiles after playing for the red team.
Peterman, who has been coming to the senior center almost every day since November 2020, said she had a “wonderful” time, and that Howard had a great personality for being a host.
“I think that in any situation that he was in, he would handle it just like he did today,” she said.
Everybody who wanted to play was able to participate. It was a close game, but after trailing in points almost all morning, the blue team came out on top.
Both teams also had photos taken with Howard to reward their effort.
Howard, who appeared on “Family Feud” with his mother in 2007, said he just wanted to make everyone feel loved.
“Seeing all the smiles and being able to put smiles on all these people’s faces — it was amazing,” Howard said. “This is a highlight for my week.”
The game went over well with those in attendance, Robinson said.
“We had a huge turnout,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of great feedback saying how much fun everybody had, and it was just a great surprise for everyone for Dwight to come and hang out with us for the morning.”