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 players are you talking about? Name them? What old era’s?
TMac, Chambers, has McAdoo, Bill Laimbeer, Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant, Robert Horry, and Moncrief are some
If I was in charge of the HOF. None of these guys and Dwight would not be in the HOF, Carmelo probably would. plus I would take out many others that are all ready in the HOF and take them out. It’s become silly because none of these guys plus the two mentioned should be in or yet
Horry is HOF to me
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.
Evolved? How? Players throwing three-pointers up left and right? Acting like thugs? Making a sham of the All-Star Game? Traveling or palming the ball and having it called “dribbling”? Flopping?
Like Melo getting DH in the HoF is a no brainer, right?
Way too early. These are not the best still waiting
Name them.
I did look up
Name the players you think are missing from the HoF.
I’m waiting for them to post it
Could Rondo be a hall of famer?
It’s the basketball Hall of Famer. Tends to be the Hall of pretty good, so he will eventually make it in.
They’re all Hall of Pretty Goods now. The trophy-for-everyone generation.
I love Rondo but I think he needed to climb up the all time assist list a little more in order to make HOF, I think he comes up short.
boooooooooooo Silver
Idk why my post didn’t show but I had to block that casual Giantsargue guy. Stick to football
I never understood, with all the marginal players in the HOF, why they never inducted Bill Bridges.
Grant Hill shouldn’t be in the HOF – Carmelo and Dwight slightly more worthy. I’m gonna mention that to someone at the Hall when I hopefully visit soon for the first time.