Despite winning with Iman Shumpert, Daniella Karagach's big Dwight Howard setback almost ruined DWTS' run

When it comes to dancing with basketball giants, there are few who can match the unique expertise of Daniella Karagach. The professional dancer who made history by turning 6-foot-10 NBA champion Iman Shumpert into a mirror ball trophy winner in Season 30 now faces perhaps her toughest challenge yet – literally 1.95 meter tall NBA star Dwight Howard. Since Karagach is just 1.75 meters tall, she actually has a height to climb!

It's not just about height differences – it's about completely reinterpreting traditional dance techniques. With Shumpert in Season 30, Karagach revolutionized the way tall contestants could move on the dance floor. Her groundbreaking performances, particularly her contemporary horror dance “I have 5 on it” showed how height differences can become advantages rather than limitations. The pair's win marked the first time an NBA player won the competition, setting a new standard for the athletes on the show. Now Daniella has landed with another one. And as she reveals, despite her victorious experience with Shumpert, she was initially shaken.

In a recent candid appearance on “Lightweight Podcast with Joe Vulpis“Karagach shared the overwhelming fear she felt when she first worked with Howard in Season 33.”Iman (Shumpert) was probably the biggest guy I've ever danced with, but he's the biggest guy I think I've spent so much time with, and then when I saw Dwight I was like, “Oh my God, he’s so much bigger!” and it was just a shock. I think my jaw literally dropped to the floor,Karagach said during the podcast.

When asked if she had to make a big adjustment to work with Howard, the 31-year-old dancer didn't shy away from expressing herself. “It was a huge change because the thoughts that immediately went through my head were, “Okay, what am I going to do with this giant?” like I had to make this work all season long',” Karagach added during the podcast.

However, the fear Karagach initially had about working with Howard was quickly put to rest with the duo's debut in the show's 33rd season. The former NBA player and the professional dancer chose salsa as their first dance and showed off their moves by dancing to the hit song “This is how we do it” by Montell Jordan.

The jury was so pleased with her performance that the first act received a stunning 22 out of 30 points. That was the second-highest score of the night behind Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong and was one of only two pairs to receive an eight. “It’s like watching a giraffe and a gazelle dance together” Judge Derek Hough had jokingly said after the performance! Now in Week 5, where the duo have amassed 29 points, their total points total adds up to 125 points. But can you imagine how much change Daniella had to make to get to this point?

“We started rehearsals late and I had the choreography planned. And when we first got into the studio to actually start rehearsing, I realized that I had to change pretty much all of my choreography because I couldn't make it around him. He was so big that I couldn't get around him. …So I had to change pretty much everything. It was crazy.” Karagach told Us Weekly exclusively after the September 17 premiere, sharing a first look. Interestingly, Howard finds that the preparation is very similar to that of basketball.

Who can question Howard's hard work in the NBA landscape? His resume includes one championship win and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He currently plays for the Taiwan Mustangs of the Asian Tournament and has been linked to NBA players Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. Howard told us that dancing is “similar” to basketball practice in a way, but it requires “Exercise so much more muscle.” He also praises Daniella.

“When she does it, it’s perfect. Every posture, no matter how small, is perfect. They are perfect except for their fingernails. It's just crazy to see. I love it”, Howard said of her dance partner. As he cleared the height barrier, he became emotional as he realized their hard work was bearing fruit.

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress”… I mean “Champions don't give up” or “Fall seven times, get up eight” and whatever other cliche quotes there are for people who are committed to achieving their goals. All I know is that me and @daniellakaragach don't plan on leaving you guys anytime soon and I'm trying to make my mom as proud as she was when I won the NBA championship.“Wrote Howard in an emotional Instagram post.

As the competition progresses, Karagach and Howard continue to adapt and develop. While the initial shock of working with such a large partner nearly derailed her confidence, Karagach's professional resilience and creative problem-solving skills turned potential limitations into opportunities for innovation. However, the NBA star continued to surprise and impress Karagach in return.

Daniella Karagach praises Dwight Howard's presence of mind

NBA star Dwight Howard's professional dance partner on the popular reality show “Dancing with the Stars” also expressed her admiration for Howard's unique approach to dancing. During a live performance during the show's third week Soul Train NightHoward and Karagach danced to one Cha Cha Song.

But in the middle of the exercise, Howard stumbled and momentarily forgot his steps. But instead of panicking or abandoning the dance, the former Orlando Magic veteran improvised and immediately created new moves.

“I literally turned around and he wasn't there and he was just feeling the music. I thought you know what's better than just standing there, right? Kudos to him for not just standing there and freaking out. I liked the fact that he could say, “I forgot the steps, oh well, let me just make up my own thing.”Karagach said during the podcast.

Although these improvised steps may not have been technically perfect, Karagach was impressed with Howard's ability to adapt and keep the performance moving. The jury was also impressed by her performance and the unique wig Howard wore that evening and awarded a total of 23 points. But just because Daniella won with Shumpert doesn't mean she's under pressure to do the same again.

“(They are) two different people. First, this guy is much larger. So it's a completely different challenge, but he's a completely different person. So no expectations,” she explained to Us Weekly. For now, we can see that Dwight's willingness to take risks and embrace the unexpected already makes him a compelling performer.