Dwight Howard says he wants to retire with Wizards

Dwight Howard has yet to play a single game for the Washington Wizards, but he’s already prepared to spend the rest of his career in the District.

Yes, really.

That might seem strange coming from a guy on his fifth team in four seasons, though at his introductory press conference, Howard said Monday he plans to play eight more years in the NBA, all with the Wizards.

And in true Howard fashion, he explained why with a corny joke — one that prompted a fair share of snarky tweets and a few genuine laughs.

“I was joking with my trainer earlier today and thought it would be fitting,” Howard said. “We were just talking about how I started with the Magic. I learned Magic for eight years. Traveled to La La Land. Learn how to work with Rockets. Then I learned how to fly with some Hawks. Got stung by the Hornets.

“Through all of that, it taught me how to be a Wizard.”

Welcome to the Dwight Howard era.

After signing a two-year, $11 million contract (with a player option after Year 1) last week, Howard spent most of Monday’s presser vowing to do whatever it takes to win, praising his new teammates and pushing back against the narrative that he’s a problem in the locker room.

Howard’s signing comes with a heavy dose of skepticism — considering the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets both traded him after a year and the Brooklyn Nets bought him out. The Wizards, too, had their own chemistry issues.

But the eight-time All-Star, whose nickname “Superman” was once apt, said he was looking forward to “putting the cape back on.”

“Last year was probably the healthiest I’ve been in four or five years,” said Howard, who had back surgery in 2013. “So this summer, I’ve felt really good. I’m still doing a lot of the things that they considered the ’old Dwight.’ … I’m looking forward to doing that here in D.C.”

For what it’s worth, Howard also said he planned to retire with the Hawks and the Hornets during his past opening press conferences. Both franchises ultimately decided they were better off without him.

Wizards coach Scott Brooks, though, said he had no concerns about Howard’s reputation, saying the two talked for hours last week in Los Angeles.

Brooks said he wants the Wizards to play faster next season and Howard will allow them to do that by grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace. Last year, Washington ranked 18th in pace.

“I’ve talked to a lot of guys that called me and said, ’Hey, man, you’re going to love him,” Brooks said. “I asked, ’ What am I going to love about him?’ And they said, ’He’s competitive. He plays hard.”

Howard, however, does not have a proven track record of playing at a faster pace consistently. A traditional low-post big, Howard had to adapt in Charlotte, which played with the ninth-fastest pace last season. That meant Howard had to be more open to roll to the rim and run in transition.

Despite the adjustment, Howard had his best season in years — finishing with 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. But results for the team, overall, were mixed. The Hornets missed the playoffs and general manager Mitch Kupchak decided Howard didn’t mesh with the pace-and-space system of James Borrego, Charlotte’s new coach.

The Hornets-Nets trade took Howard by surprise. The center recalled finding out he was heading to Brooklyn by checking Instagram moments before speaking to a crowd of 5,000 for an event. “It hurt a little bit,” Howard said.

But later on, Howard checked Instagram again — and noticed a direct message from Wizards star John Wall. It didn’t take much from Wall to convince Howard to join him.

Howard said the Wizards were the team he always wanted to join this offseason, even over the Golden State Warriors.

“We thought this will be a great place for me,” Howard said. “No disrespect to any of the point guards I’ve played with in my career, John is a different type of animal. The way he passes the ball. The way he draws so much attention with his aggressiveness on the offensive end. It’s going to make it very difficult for teams to guard the pick-and-roll. … Then you have a guy like Bradley Beal who’s rising. Last year was one of his best offensive years. But he’s not satisfied.

“All of us have something to prove and we want to do it together.”