All Dwight Howard urges his doubters to do is this: look at the numbers. They tell the story, he insists. He averaged 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Only 13 other players in the history of the NBA have posted those for a career.
They all made the Hall of Fame.
鈥淪o, why not me?鈥 Howard asked.
He doesn鈥檛 have to ask that question anymore.
Howard 鈥 who is still upset, and some would say rightly so, for being left off the NBA鈥檚 75th anniversary team that was unveiled nearly four years ago 鈥 wasn鈥檛 snubbed for the top individual honor that can be bestowed upon a player. He goes into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, the capper to a career where he was an eight-time All-Star, a five-time rebounding champion, a two-time blocked shots champion and the only player to win defensive player of the year in three consecutive seasons.
鈥淚鈥檓 most proud of the fact that I鈥檝e had longevity, and I鈥檝e been able to play as long as I鈥檝e been able play and stay as healthy as I have,鈥 Howard said. 鈥淎nd I want people to say that one thing about me is that I was always going to put my best foot forward, 100% effort. They can say, 鈥楴o matter what it is, he鈥檚 going to put in everything he has.鈥欌
Howard is one of two dual-enshrinees this weekend; he and Carmelo Anthony are both going into the Hall of Fame for their individual achievements and again as part of the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team dubbed the 鈥淩edeem Team鈥 after winning gold at the Beijing Games that summer.
Also entering the Hall this weekend: women鈥檚 basketball greats Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, longtime NBA referee Dan Crawford and Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan 鈥 a winner of two NCAA titles when he coached at Florida.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great class,鈥 USA Basketball men鈥檚 national team director Sean Ford said.
Howard is 10th on the NBA鈥檚 all-time rebounding list, 13th on the list of blocked shots. He鈥檚 one of four players with three DPOY awards, behind only four-time winners Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert. And he got his lone NBA ring in 2020, when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat in the bubble finals.
Only one other player 鈥 Elvin Hayes 鈥 finished his NBA career averaging as many points, rebounds and blocked shots as Howard did. Blocks didn鈥檛 become an official stat until 1973, but regardless, the numbers showed Howard was a lock for the hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, to call.
鈥淚t was absolutely ridiculous that he didn鈥檛 make Top 75,鈥 Stan Van Gundy, Howard鈥檚 longtime coach in Orlando, said when that 75th anniversary team was released.
Howard and Van Gundy didn鈥檛 always agree. On this point, they鈥檙e in lockstep.
鈥淚 was wondering if I was ever going to get into the Hall of Fame after the Top 75 thing, because it just seemed like, as far as my basketball play, I haven鈥檛 really received that much respect from my years in the league,鈥 Howard said. 鈥淚t was a little difficult. But then once I got the call, I was like, 鈥榃ow, this is here.鈥欌
The 75th anniversary team snub might come up in the speech that Howard is planning to deliver this weekend. If this speech goes like the one he gave earlier this year when he was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame 鈥 he spent his first eight NBA seasons with the Magic, hardly missing a game after they took him No. 1 overall in the 2004 draft 鈥 expect some laughs and some tears. Howard doesn鈥檛 mind showing his emotions.
The Hall didn鈥檛 make him wait, either. Howard was voted in during his first year of eligibility.
鈥淚t鈥檚 happening. It鈥檚 me being in the Hall of Fame, being inducted in the Hall of Fame as player and then being inducted into the Hall of Fame as an Olympian,鈥 Howard said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just like a double whammy, but in a good way.鈥
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