National Basketball Association

Dwight Howard pranked his mother by telling her he signed with the Utah Jazz

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:30 p.m. ET

Rob Perez

Whether it's care-free attitude, making light of dark times, or general goofy nature...

Dwight Howard has always been known to be a prankster of sorts.

This Summer, Howard returned to his hometown of Atlanta -- signing a 3-year $70.5 million deal with the Hawks. After he signed on the dotted line, we learned via CBS Sports Radio's The Doug Gottlieb Show that he had some fun at the expense of his own mother:

I played a prank on my mom. I wanted to see her reaction, so I told her, I said, 'Mom, I just got this big contract, $150 million.' And she was like, 'Oh my God, from who?' I said, 'Utah Jazz,' and she started crying. And I said, 'Mom, sorry, I was just joking, I'm coming home to Atlanta.' And then she was super happy and my family was super excited.

Howard did not specify if there was a particular reason why he chose the Utah Jazz as the team he'd prank his mother with, but, like just about anything involving Dwight -- it raises questions that no-one besides him can truly answer.