8x NBA All-Star Dwight Howard was once considered the best big man in the game, but he was never able to live up to his superstar potential. While the guy was undeniably a beast on the court, Dwight was constantly criticized for his “goofy” personality, which former NBA swingman Trevor Ariza attributes as the reason he has been historically overlooked.
“Dwight Howard was too goofy. He played too much. Everybody else doesn’t understand that personality … Having a smile and being a killer, the only person to get that off was Magic Johnson.”
. @TrevorAriza explains why @DwightHoward doesn’t get the respect he deserves:
"Dwight Howard was too goofy. He played too much. Everybody else doesn't understand that personality … Having a smile and being a killer, the only person to get that off was @MagicJohnson." pic.twitter.com/ptmKpxONGR
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) December 1, 2023
It’s easy to forget just how good Howard was back in the day, but he was good enough to carry the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009 while averaging 20.6 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks during the season. Unfortunately, his positive approach to life and relatively aloof personality caught a lot of fans off-guard and many still make the case today that Howard’s greatness weakness was his inability to lead there were stakes on the line.
Howard Vs. Kobe In Los Angeles
After finding great success with the Orlando Magic, Dwight was traded to the Lakers in 2012 with hopes of building a dynasty with Kobe Bryant. Instead, the contrasting personalities between Kobe and Howard doomed their partnership from the very start. After just 76 games in Los Angeles, which ended in a first-round series sweep against the Spurs, Dwight spurned the Lakers to try his luck in Houston.
Looking back, there are many ways that the Howard era went wrong for the Lakers but it’s no secret that the big man’s jokester persona rubbed Kobe the wrong way. In a now famous phone call between the two, Bryant declared it “wasn’t going to work out” after the former big man called to ask him about LA nightlife minutes after being traded. In short, Dwight could never match Kobe’s competitive spirit and it became a theme for him for the rest of his career.
Is Howard A Top 75 All-Time Player?
In a decision that still sparks debate today, the NBA decided to leave Dwight off of their top 75 team a few years ago, revealing where his reputation ultimately stands in the modern age. Even as an NBA champion, 8x All-Star, 8x All-NBA player, and 3x Defensive Player of the Year, Howard isn’t often ranked in the same tier as other legendary bigs like Shaq, Wilt, Kareem, or even David Robinson and that’s for a good reason. He failed to win a championship as the top guy and always seemed far too busy making jokes to improve his game in any aspect.
In 2020, Dwight did somewhat redeem himself when he returned to the Lakers and won a championship as their backup center but there will always be a sense of missed opportunity with him when you think about what he could have done with some more focus on the mission.
Today, Dwight hasn’t officially retired but his days in the league are long gone with his last game being in the 2021-22 season. His legacy is no doubt a complicated one, but nobody can take away what he accomplished with the Magic when he was their shining star and franchise player for nearly a full decade.
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