Dwight Howard says his own mother was shocked while watching her fave show -- "The Masked Singer" -- because she found out her baby boy was the "Octopus!!!"
The NBA veteran, and current L.A. Lakers star, joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to tell us all about his experience on the Fox show -- and why he went to great lengths to keep his appearance top secret from his mom.
It's super sweet ... Dwight says she was just like every other viewer across the country, watching his unmasking after he'd dropped a pretty good version of the Little Richard classic, "Tutti Frutti."
Keep in mind, he pulled that off while being 6'10" and draped in his heavy costume and headgear.
Unfortunately for the Howard fam, Dwight was eliminated at the end of Wednesday night's season premiere, but it sounds like she'll continue watching even though he got the boot.
It's a fun conversation ... and Dwight tells us why a family connection inspired his song choice.