Dwight Howard was once considered the most dominant big man in the NBA, but since leaving the Orlando Magic in 2012, his career has deteriorated. 

After leading the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009 and winning the Defensive Player of the Year award three times, it looked as though Howard was ready to be the leading center in the league for years to come. 

But when he decided to leave Orlando and join the Los Angeles Lakers, things took a turn for the worse.

He spent one miserable season in L.A. and regularly clashed with superstar Kobe Bryant during his time there which ultimately meant his days were numbered. 

In the summer of 2013, he signed with the Houston Rockets in free agency hoping to recapture his best form and get back to his best. 

Unfortunately for the 31-year-old, that didn't happen in Texas and he continued to look like a shadow of his former self during three years with the franchise.  

Just like he did in L.A., he clashed the team's star player and didn't see eye to eye with James Harden during the latter part of his stint in Houston. 

Things in H-Town got so bad for Howard that he recently revealed he considered retiring from the league at that point.

The eight-time All-Star opened up in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins.

“The joy was sucked out of it,” he said. 

So what did Dwight do to prevent himself from retiring? He saw a pastor. 

He turned to a pastor called Calvin Simmons who has advised many professional athletes in the states. 

“Dwight had gone from the darling of the NBA to the black sheep,” Simmons told Jenkins. “He realised he had done some things wrong and needed to change, but at the beginning, he just wanted to share.”

Of course, Howard didn't end up retiring but things haven't been much better for the veteran as the Atlanta Hawks gave up on him just one year into a three-year, $70 million deal and traded him to the Charlotte Hornets this summer.

But the Atlanta native believes it could be a blessing in disguise as he sees an opportunity to work with Hornets head coach Steve Clifford again as his best chance to return to an elite level.

Clifford was an assistant coach in Orlando during Howard's time there and knows all about his strengths and was keen to work with him again. 

After going through some tough times, it'll be great to see the old Dwight Howard resurrected in Charlotte.