- Dwight Howard opens up on his “big man only” All-Time lineup
- Howard snub modern-day centers on his ultimate team
- Dwight claims Shaquille O’Neal is the “most dominant” player ever
For most basketball enthusiasts, building the “perfect team” is all about finding a balance between size, perimeter shooting, and chemistry. But for NBA champion Dwight Howard, his All-Time starting five is composed of all big men, and he says it’s good enough to defeat any other lineup in history.
“All-Time starting five and I’m going with big men. Shaq, Kareem, Wilt, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Y’all gonna have to find a way to beat this team… we will let Hakeem play point and I’m playing the two. And then you got Wilt, Shaq, and Kareem at the three, four, and five… we talking about Orlando Dwight, L.A. Shaq, the most dominant center, who’s stopping them?” It’s certainly an unorthodox structure for any basketball team, but Dwight seemed confident in his picks and it’s not hard to see how a lineup with some of the greatest big men ever could find success together despite the flaws. Unfortunately for Dwight, the fans weren’t nearly as sold on the idea and they raised many questions on how such a team could work.
NBA Fans Rip Dwight Howard’s All-Time Five
As many fans pointed out, Dwight’s crew might have a hard time getting the ball up the floor. With no true ball handlers or playmakers, it would be up to Hakeem to bring the ball up the floor but that’s not really a role that he’s played in the past. Additionally, Dwight’s team might struggle to keep up with guards on the other end, who are typically much faster moving on the court.
Who’s bringing the ball up court? You gotta put Jokic at PG or it don’t work lol
— De🅿️ressed Warriors Fan 💔 (@GoIdenState) September 30, 2023
The paint on their offense pic.twitter.com/JwCnfEZOX3
— Coach Problem 🦍 (@LeakTheProblem) September 30, 2023
Gon be the offensive game plan against this team pic.twitter.com/j7bIjp1qXA
— Dubzero (@Dubzero2) September 30, 2023
One fan even went a step further by building his own big-mamy-only team with Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid.
Cooking this team with current big men btw
PG: Jokic
SG: KAT
SF: Bam
PF: Giannis
C: Embiid
In terms of fit, defense, shooting, spacing, playmaking and athleticism, this team>>>
— Moodi🇸🇴 (@playboi_moodi) September 30, 2023
All-time lists like this are always a matter of opinion and they will almost always generate some form of debate in a conversation. In this case, at the very least, we can be sure that Dwight Howard’s team has fans reflecting on the evolution of the “big man” as we know it today.
Traditional NBA Big Men Are Dying
One thing that fans quickly noticed about Howard’s list is that he was the only “modern” player included. Despite his battles against superstar centers like Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and others, Howard snubbed them from his list and it’s hard not to take it as a slight against the evolution of the position. Today, unlike in years past, most big men are expected to play a support role around the shooters instead of being the focal point of the offense. According to a lot of former players, the “true” center has already gone extinct.
“The game is evolving. We older big guys don’t look at it as evolving. We look at it as soft because guys don’t want to get down there and bang,” said O’Neal. “Which is okay. New era new generation, I can’t tell them how to play. I can’t tell them what to do.” The truth is, bigs don’t play like they used to and for an old-school center like Howard, it makes sense that he’d gravitate towards a dominant paint player like Shaq, who he actually called the most dominant player of them all.
Is Shaq The Most Dominant Big Man Ever?
It’s no secret that Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight have beef with one another, so it’s surprising that Howard so openly admitted that O’Neal is the most dominant player in league history. But whether you love him or hate him, you cannot deny that Shaq is worthy of consideration for that title.
When people think about centers and dominating the interior, Shaq is often the first name that comes to mind — and for good reason. At 7’1″ and roughly 325 pounds, Shaq was an absolute beast of a man and there wasn’t anybody who could stop him around the rim. Over 19 years in the NBA, O’Neal built an amazing resume with 15 All-Star selections, an MVP win in 2000, and a total of five championships during his career. So, even despite the beef, Dwight Howard knows who is at the top of the NBA big man hierarchy.
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