Dwight Howard is set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot honoree, a fitting tribute to his illustrious career. He earned numerous accolades, including eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA team honors, and an impressive three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Despite his clear credentials, a strong argument can be made that Howard remains historically underrated. Notably, he was one of only 26 players in NBA history to receive at least five First-Team All-NBA selections, yet he was conspicuously absent from the league`s 75th Anniversary Team, while the other 25 players on that list were included. This exclusion highlights his unique situation, as all other players with three or more First-Team All-NBA honors who missed the 75th Anniversary Team played before the advent of the three-point era. Howard stands as the sole modern player with such significant accolades to be overlooked for this prestigious recognition.
Howard`s career was not without its imperfections. Like other dominant centers such as Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O`Neal, he struggled significantly from the free-throw line, holding a career average of 57%. His offensive game also saw more turnovers than assists, and he was often an inefficient post-scorer. Despite frequent low-post touches, data from 2013-14 onwards reveals him ranking poorly among players with over 1,000 post-ups in points per play.
This perceived underrating is largely attributed to the distinctive arc of his career. Unlike a player like Robert Parish, who achieved similar overall career value through remarkable longevity and multiple championships, Howard`s path was characterized by an extraordinarily high peak followed by a relatively swift decline. While Parish sustained consistent production into his late 30s and collected four NBA titles, Howard achieved the bulk of his value early in his career.
Indeed, the latter half of Howard`s career saw a significant drop-off in production. His last All-Star appearance came at age 28, and his 30s marked a transition from a league-coveted center to a journeyman, moving teams for his final six seasons. This culminated in a valuable, though role-playing, contribution to the Los Angeles Lakers` 2019-20 championship, where he and JaVale McGee provided critical center depth, enabling Anthony Davis to excel at power forward.
This later career trajectory, however, often obscures the sheer brilliance and unparalleled heights Howard reached during his prime, a period where his physical prowess was also evident, famously showcased by his “sticker dunk” in the 2007 contest.
During his peak, Howard achieved a rare feat: five consecutive First-Team All-NBA selections, a distinction shared by only 18 other players in NBA history. Among centers, only Shaquille O`Neal and George Mikan join him on this exclusive list. Modern contemporaries include legends like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kevin Durant, all widely regarded as among the greatest players ever, with Luka Doncic as the sole younger exception.
While some critics suggest his All-NBA dominance was partly due to a perceived weaker pool of centers at the time (with the likes of Amar`e Stoudemire, Yao Ming, and Andrew Bynum making second and third teams), this argument only tells part of the story. Howard`s individual brilliance transcended positional strength. His MVP finishes during his five-year peak — second, fourth, fourth, fifth, and seventh — solidify his status as a legitimate top-five player in the league, irrespective of the talent surrounding him at his position.
Throughout the first half of his career, Howard was an indomitable two-way force. His remarkable durability saw him play 82 games in five of his first seven seasons. He is one of only four players to win at least three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and the only one to do so consecutively. Crucially, his offensive game significantly outshone that of his fellow three-time DPOY winners—Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace—finishing his career with more points than Mutombo and Wallace combined.
Howard`s unique skillset also enabled the Orlando Magic to pioneer a modern, analytically-driven playing style well before it became mainstream. Under coach Stan Van Gundy during Howard`s peak, the Magic surrounded their dominant center with prolific three-point shooters like Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, and Ryan Anderson. This innovative approach led the league in three-point attempt rate every season of that five-year span, while simultaneously boasting one of the NBA`s stingiest interior defenses, consistently allowing the lowest rate of shots at the rim.
Both Van Gundy and his teammates credited Howard`s powerful presence in the paint for facilitating this groundbreaking strategy. As his teammates launched from beyond the arc, Howard dominated inside, leading the NBA in dunks for six consecutive seasons from 2005-06 to 2010-11.
The Magic, led by Howard, dramatically announced their arrival in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, orchestrating one of the 21st century`s most significant playoff upsets. They decisively defeated the 66-win Cleveland Cavaliers, who had been undefeated in the preceding two series, thereby preventing a highly anticipated Kobe vs. LeBron Finals matchup. In that postseason, Howard averaged an impressive 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, including a 40-point performance in the series-clinching game.
Such a postseason performance, averaging at least 20 points and 15 rebounds on a Finals-bound team, places Howard in the esteemed company of legendary big men, including Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O`Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Tim Duncan, Moses Malone, Dave Cowens, Elgin Baylor, and George Mikan.
Beyond his statistical achievements, Howard`s legacy also includes being the starting center for the gold medal-winning “Redeem Team” at the 2008 Olympics and his role, alongside Nate Robinson, in revitalizing the NBA All-Star Weekend dunk contest during a period when it had lost some of its luster.
However, his career took a downturn after 2012, following his trade request from Orlando to the Lakers – a move famously depicted on a Sports Illustrated cover with the caption “Now this is going to be fun.” This period also coincided with significant back surgery, impacting his long-term trajectory.
In reflection, his time with the Houston Rockets, where he played for three years after his initial Lakers stint, perhaps best encapsulates his career. Like a rocket, he burned incredibly bright, ascended to extraordinary heights, and then, inevitably, began his descent back to Earth.
