Dwight Howard didn’t take kindly to a fan telling him that Charles Barkley had more ‘dog’ in him than Dwight on X, with Howard firing back with a stern response.
“Go to sleep. I was sending your fav players shot to the bleachers and had people afraid to come to the hoop and you talking about someone being a dog.”
What the fan had said deserved such a retort from Dwight, as he said he would take Howard over Barkley to start a franchise given how good Howard was over his prime, but still criticized the three-time Defensive Player of the Year over not being a ‘dog’ like Barkley was.
“Barkley got more dog in him than Dwight. Barkley would mentally bully Dwight on the court. But I would take Howard to start a Franchise.”
Both Barkley and Howard are among the greatest big men in NBA history in different regards.
Despite being six to seven inches shorter than Dwight, Barkley was one of the best rebounders in NBA history. He averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists over his career, winning the 1993 MVP award and making it to the 1993 NBA Finals. Unfortunately, Barkley never won a title and is still regarded as one of the best players to not have a championship ring.
Both Howard and Barkley are different players, so picking one over the other isn’t an easy feat. Barkley had more of an offensive game but Dwight might just be one of the greatest defenders in NBA history.
I would personally take Howard as his impact on the league in his prime was immense, but there’s no wrong or right answer to this, just opinions.
Dwight Howard Was Snubbed From The NBA 75 List
Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks over his NBA career, having a much shorter prime which came in his first nine seasons in the NBA. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards in that time, though he never won league MVP.
He led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, beating LeBron James and the Cavaliers on the way, but lost. He did end up winning a title eventually, alongside LeBron on the 2020 Lakers squad.
The NBA announced the 75th Anniversary Team in 2022, naming the 75 best players to have suited up in the NBA, adding 25 names to the list of 50 they had released in 1997. Howard’s name was shockingly omitted, with players like Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard making the cut over players like Dwight and Kyrie Irving.
Howard’s omission from the list led to an outpouring of support from players such as LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young, and more believing Dwight deserved a spot. Howard’s former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy believes non-basketball reasons led to Howard not being named.
Dwight himself went on record and opened up about how disrespected he felt by the decision. He was on the Lakers at the time and watched teammate Anthony Davis make the cut despite many believing Davis hadn’t achieved more than Howard at that point.
This wrong can’t be righted until there’s a 100th Anniversary Team where Howard could make the cut, but given the current generation of NBA stars, it might be a major milestone missing for a player who deserved this honor.
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