Dwight Howard On Legacy Feeling ‘Solidified’ After Being Inducted Into Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame

Dwight Howard feels “solidified” after being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year was one of the dominant forces in the NBA during the 2000’s. Despite being just 24 years old when the decade ended and not debuting until 2004, Howard already had won the DPOY award, was an All-NBA selection twice and had led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals.

Howard is one of the headliners of the 2025 class, along the likes of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and two-time national champion head coach Billy Donovan.

“It’s more so a solidified feeling,” says Howard in a one-on-one interview on being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “It’s more like planted in the ground, plastered on the wall of forever. In Lamb’s book of life, that’s how that feeling is.”

The 39-year-old was one of the NBA’s top players and faces of the league at the end of the 2000’s and the start of the 2010’s. However, a lot of people have forgotten just how dominant Howard was at the peak of his career. He was considered the league’s top big man at the time of his trade acquisition from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012.

While the Lakers were disappointing during his initial stint with the franchise — he spent one season with the Lakers in 2012-13 as they were swept in the first round — he eventually returned to the franchise and helped lead them to a title during the 2019-20 season.

Despite Howard’s dominance during the first half of his career, many may have forgotten just how good he was due to being more of a role player during the final few years of his career. Howard clinched his last All-Star berth and All-NBA selection in 2014, but didn’t end his NBA career until the 2021-22 season.

“Melo and I have been disrespected in a lot of regards when it comes to our careers, because of our longevity,” says Howard. “We both came in at 18-19 years of age and we played a very long time and we outlasted what the average career would be. When we talk about it being satisfaction, it’s the fact that we know that there’s only 4800 guys who have ever played in the NBA in the history of the world. There’s only been 0.9% of that group that has been an All-Star. It’s been only 0.2% that has been a Hall of Famer.”

Howard details how he and Anthony’s careers are very similar in that they ended their careers as role players, with Anthony playing a similar role for the Lakers when he concluded his NBA career in 2021. They get “penalized” for that because fans don’t understand that they outlasted the average career for a player and that had to play certain roles on their teams.

“We become normal because we outlasted our time and we’re not the main players on our team anymore,” says Howard. “We have to grow out of the big roles we had and people don’t understand that. They only want to see us as the superstar players. When we don’t have the big nights like we had in the past, they’re saying we can’t play anymore or that we’re washed.

“They don’t understand we’re not in that position anymore.,” Howard continues to say. “We have to play a role, we’re not the superstar player on the team anymore and we understand that. Everybody on the outside can’t see it and we get penalized for it.”

Howard was clearly the face of the Magic when the franchise turned things around during the 2000’s, leading the franchise to its first playoff win in 2008 after not winning a series since 1996, when Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway were there.

Since Howard’s departure in 2012, the Magic haven’t won a playoff series. The franchise recently inducted Howard into its own Hall of Fame. It’s no exaggeration — Howard’s impact in Orlando was very similar to the one Shaq and Hardaway had for the Magic when they lifted the franchise to contender status during the 90’s.

“When I first came into the league, my whole mission was, I wanted to make Orlando be the best team,” says Howard. “Everybody talked down about our team in Orlando. I was like, ‘Man, no more disrespect.’ Whatever I have to do to gain some respect for Orlando, I’ll do it. If I have to dunk on everybody, block every shot, then I want to do that and then give them a Disney smile.

“That was my mindset, and it just flowed to the city,” Howard continues to say. “The energy just went from person to person. It was just so amazing to be a part of that. That city really gave me wings. I’m very appreciative for Orlando.”

Howard — who is self-admittedly emotional — says it’s going to be “so emotional” when he’s officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in September.

“I’m going to be so emotional,” says Howard. “I’m a person that’s a crier. I cry during a movie. I cry when I see other people cry. I cried during the national championship watching the people cry for losing. I cried for the people that were winning. I’m just a crybaby sometimes, It’s just because my heart is so genuine.

“What I did for basketball and with basketball was all out of love,” Howard continues to say. “I played the game of pure passion and love. It means a lot at the end of my career to have this honor bestowed upon me.