Some retired players go into coaching, others broadcasting ... but when Dwight Howard finally hangs up the J's, the NBA star has a future as a WWE Superstar, if he wants it, 'cause the 7 footer just showed up to a WWE tryout and cut an incredible promo.
TMZ Sports has video of the 36-year-old 8x NBA All-Star crashing tryouts in Nashville (WWE's in TN for SummerSlam) ... where he went all out on stage in front of Triple H and other company execs.
Howard channeled Sho'nuff (whom he was previously for Halloween) -- the bad guy from the 1985 movie "The Last Dragon" -- and he killed it!