Dwight Howard, who is viewed as one of the most dominant big men of all time, became a member of the Los Angeles Lakers family when they traded for him in 2012. However, things did not materialize as planned alongside Kobe Bryant as L.A. struggled to find any consistency.
After his departure, Howard struggled to maintain a positive reputation in the league, but the talent level was not to be denied. Fast forward to 2020 and the Atlanta native signed back to the Lakers and essentially solidified his case as a Hall of Famer with a championship.
Expectations were low when he signed for his second stint, but Howard was a vital piece to winning a title. Now, he is a part of the Class of 2025 for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and he is excited for his induction, via NBA History:
Dwight being Dwight 😂
Getting ready for that Orange Jacket moment! pic.twitter.com/947P82jTw3
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) September 5, 2025
Howard let his personality show in this video and his moment is finally arriving on Saturday, Sep. 6. The ceremony will be broadcast on NBA TV at 4 p.m. PT.
Looking back on Howard’s 18-year career, he was an eight-time All-Star, five-time rebounding champion, two-time block champion, eight-time All-NBA member, five-time All-Defensive team member and lastly, three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
For his career, he averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as he suited up in 1,242 games. Mainly known for his time with the Orlando Magic, Howard was met with high expectations after being drafted first overall out of high school.
Those eight years were the best of Howard’s career as he averaged 18.4 points, 13 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He even led Orlando to a Finals appearance in 2009, which they lost to the Lakers. For a small market, that carries weight as they only had one other appearance in 1995.
Other inductees in the 2025 Hall of Fame class include former Laker Carmelo Anthony, who was a teammate with Howard in 2021-22, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, former NBA referee Danny Crawford and the 2008 USA Redeem Team. There will be WNBA icons being inducted as well, including Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore.
Dwight Howard: Lakers 2020 championship was ‘cherry on top’ of Hall of Fame resume
Championships could make a break a legend getting into the Hall of Fame, and Dwight Howard finally broke through and won one with the Lakers in 2020.
While titles are great though, winning that championship was the ‘cherry on top’ in what Howard believes was already a Hall of Fame career.
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