Dwight Howard was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Before Saturday's ceremony, Howard acknowledged being snubbed from the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
Dwight Howard expresses his frustation
When the NBA named it's all-time top 75 players in 2021, Howard was one of the notable omissions. In an interview with NBA TV on Saturday, he was questioned about getting inducted in the Hall of Fame after not making the 75th Anniversary team.
"The great part about it is I'm going in two times," Howard said. "So, it's like this (75th anniversary team), yes it hurt. It was like a big slap in the face and not be on that team... but to go in twice in the same year, man it's like God said, 'You know what, I'm gonna double pound you with a blessing.'"
Dwight Howard's NBA career has been underrated. The first half of his career was full of titles. However, fans and experts remember only the second half, which saw him switching teams as his career went downhill.
Howard most notably led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA finals. He was named an All-Star eight straight times from 2007 to 2014. He was also an eight-time All-NBA selection, consisting of five consecutive selections to the All-NBA first team. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
In his second stint with the LA Lakers, Howard played a pivotal role in the Lakers' triumph in 2020.
Howard was a member of the 2008 U.S. men's basketball team, which was also enshrined on Saturday. Also known as the "Redeem Team," the squad clinched the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.