Even in retirement, Dwight Howard still commands respect when talking about basketball, especially when it comes to big men. On the Curious Mike podcast, the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year opened up about the toughest matchups he ever faced in his career. From legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming to modern stars like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, Howard’s list is a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of big-man basketball over two decades.
Here’s who made the list and why.
“Mark Jackson, big Mark Jackson who played in Philly, he’s a coach in Philly now, well, he does TV in Philly but he was like that.”
“Rasheed Wallace, too, super nice, strong, could turn around and hit jump shots over anybody.”
“Kendrick Perkins for defense. Back then you could do anything defensively, but Kendrick was physical. I’d been playing against him since high school, so that was always a great battle.”
“Boogie, he had the handles and everything, but we went at it. We always got fouls on each other. It was always me and him getting into it over something and then ending up on the bench. I realized that was his tactic, trying to get me out of my game. And honestly, it worked sometimes. I’d be like, ‘Man, I’m getting fouled too much, I gotta do something.’ But that was the game plan, and it worked.”
“Shaq was tough because he was 395 pounds, just heavy, massive. He’s 7’2, 7’3, and I’m really 6’9, maybe 6’10. That’s giving up a lot of height, size, and strength. I just tried to meet him at half court every time, keep fighting from half court all the way down. Don’t let him get anywhere in the paint, because if he gets in there, it’s over with. Imagine when he was 25 and running, that was a real problem.”
“Yao Ming, turnaround jump shot. You couldn’t stop it, you couldn’t block it. That was the one. He’s 7’5, had that elbow jumper, turnaround jumper, right-hand hook, and he was strong, man. Strong.”
“Joel, I’ve got to give Embiid his props. I know I played on his team, but when he played against me early on, he was super young — still, dude is nice. If he had stayed healthy, at that time he was probably the only player I could see going one-on-one with Shaq and giving him real problems. He knows how to draw fouls, he’s got the Euro step, the jump shot, the full package. A 100% healthy Joel is a problem, he could easily be top 10.”
“And then obviously the Joker. I met him in my later years when he was still super young, but watching what he’s doing now is crazy. I be watching like — are dudes actually trying to play defense, or is he really just killing them like that?”
What stands out most about Howard’s list isn’t just the names, but the range from physical enforcers like Perkins and Shaq to tacticians like Yao and Jokic. It shows how the center position has evolved across generations, and how Howard, once seen as the bridge between the old-school and modern bigs, appreciates both sides.
It’s fitting that Dwight Howard, who carved out a Hall of Fame career as one of the most dominant defenders and rebounders of his era, now looks back with respect for the players who tested him the most. From the bruising paint wars of the 2000s to the skill-driven style of today, his list is a living timeline of the big-man evolution and a reminder that no matter how the game changes, the great ones always recognize greatness.
