Former NBA center Dwight Howard has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and will be part of the class of 2025, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The first overall pick in the 2004 draft, Howard immediately became the starting center for the Magic and spent the next eight seasons in Orlando, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards with the team and finishing in the top five in MVP voting in four consecutive seasons from 2008-11. The Magic made the playoffs in six straight years during Howard’s tenure, appearing in the NBA Finals in 2009.
From 2012-22, Howard bounced around the NBA, spending time with the Lakers, Rockets, Hawks, Hornets, Wizards, and Sixers. He had three separate stints with the Lakers during that decade and won his first and only championship with the team in 2020.
Howard earned a total of eight All-Star nods and appeared on eight All-NBA teams, including five First Teams, over the course of his 18-year NBA career. In addition to winning DPOY three times, he made an All-Defensive team five teams, including claiming a spot on the First Team for four years in a row from 2009-12.
Howard led the league in rebounding five times and currently ranks 11th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list. He was also the league leader in blocked shots twice and ranks 15th all-time in that category.
The big man didn’t play college basketball but fortified his Hall of Fame résumé by winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in Beijing in 2008.
The Hall of Fame will officially announce its full class of 2025 on Saturday at the NCAA Final Four. According to reporting from Charania, Howard and another former NBA star, Carmelo Anthony, will be among the first-ballot selections in that group.
What a strange HOF class. I agree that him and Melo are no doubt HOFers, however if I was a GM Iwould not want either of them on my team.
If you’re a GM in 2025 agreed. When both of them were drafted definitely would have wanted them then.
Aren’t there many other players from many old era’s are still waiting. More glazing in coming. Silver stop this crap
What a joke
Well I don’t get it. I prefer jokes that are, ya know, actually funny. That’s sarcasm if that went over your head…smdh
He benefited from playing in one of the weakest eras for centers.
His limited offense would have been exposed in the 80’s and 90’s.
LeBron would average 16 points a game
LeBron came into the league one year before Howard. He averaged 27.2ppg during Howard’s rookie season.
Can you imagine those slow ass 90s centers trying to stop this man? Shawn Kemp was an absolute monster before he became a fat ass with even less offensive skill and he was shorter.
Everyone talks up the 80s and 90s like it was some amazing era. Magic Johnson was the coolest guy around and his highlights aren’t anything special if you watch them today. An all time great and a legend, but the game has evolved leaps and bounds since those times.
Howard was weird and had a poor last few years, so people forget how dominant he was.
6’10 power forward was not a good argument.
Prime Hakeem
Prime Robinson
Prime Alonzo
Prime Mutombo
Would have all destroyed Howard.
Like Melo getting DH in the HoF is a no brainer, right?