The Los Angeles Lakers have had plenty of stars walk through their franchise during their illustrious history. One of those was Dwight Howard, who notably spent three separate tenures with L.A. and finally cashed in on a championship in 2020.
Now, Howard was immortalized in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend. During his career, the big man was a dominant force who overpowered his opponents with his size and strength, getting him into the Hall on the first ballot.
Howard spent his first eight seasons with the Orlando Magic and took them to the NBA Finals in 2009, which was against the Lakers. During that time, Howard was at his peak defensively, winning three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards and making seven All-Star appearances with the Magic.
To further demonstrate how much of a force he was, he was a five-time rebounding champion, two-time blocks champion and five-time All-Defensive team nominations. As his career progressed, a ring was missing to cap off his resume and ultimately got it during his second stint with the Lakers.
The day of Howard’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony was one to remember, as leading up to the event, he was extremely excited about being up there with all-time greats. To present him this honor, fellow big men in Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O’Neal were all on stage.
Among the highlights from Howard’s speech were thanking his family, O’Neal for squashing their beef and being there for him, and current Lakers star and former teammate LeBron James:
"Pops, mom your son is in the Hall of Fame."
Dwight Howard gives a special shoutout to his parents during his @Hoophall speech 🥹
📺 Class of 2025 Enshrinement Ceremony on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/qiQ6ZGqP3q
— NBA (@NBA) September 6, 2025
"You taught me what it means to stay ready."
Dwight shouts out his coach Stan Van Gundy & does an ICONIC impression 😂
📺 Class of 2025 Enshrinement Ceremony on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/wOTfCMeDZL
— NBA (@NBA) September 6, 2025
"Uh oh? Did I wake up a monster in here?"
Hilarious moment as Dwight Howard notices Lebron James in the crowd to support him 😆👏 pic.twitter.com/ldVs97fERl
— NBA (@NBA) September 6, 2025
Congrats to @Hoophall Class of 2025 inductee, Dwight Howard! pic.twitter.com/1k0ef2gxF9
— NBA (@NBA) September 6, 2025
While Howard’s first stint in L.A. did not end well, it was great to see both parties rekindle and ultimately cash in on the goal of winning a championship. Even though it was during the latter stages of his career, Howard still paid crucial postseason minutes to help the Lakers win their 17th banner, becoming a fan favorite forever in the city.
After the NBA announced their 75th Anniversary Team, many were surprised Howard was snubbed off the list because his prime was something special. Not many centers during the late 2000s were as physically imposing as him, so fortunately, he received his flowers and received the highest honor in all of basketball, being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony & 2025 class receive Hall of Fame jackets
Before the ceremony, all the inductees receive their orange Hall of Fame jackets as it adds a sense of excitement for them. This is viewed as a special event in its own right, so video was captured of former Lakers Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and the 2025 class.
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