Dwight Howard has tasted Olympic gold, won a Slam Dunk contest with a Superman cape tied to his back and reached the pinnacle of NBA team success when his Lakers won a championship in 2020.
But getting inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame? That’s something entirely different.
‘When I got the call, it was just the most unreal feeling,’ he told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview. ‘Anyone can imagine just your whole body just being overwhelmed with a new type of joy that you’ve never felt before. It’s just insane.
‘I cried so much of happiness that I didn’t have no more tears. It was just like, I was so grateful and thankful, and just kind of like it was like at ease: ‘Man, I don’t have to worry no more. I don’t have to think about this one thing anymore. Basketball is solidified.’ So, I’m Gucci on that, I did it, I did it. I made it to the ceiling.’
Howard, who last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season and is set to suit up in the Big3 league this summer, learned of his induction earlier this month, which also gave him the chance to reconcile with his ‘big brother’ Shaquille O’Neal.
And after getting the good news, he took a well-deserved moment to flip through the memories of his decades-long basketball journey.
Dwight Howard is seen competing in the 2008 Slam-Dunk contest with a Superman cape on
Howard’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame has given him the chance to reconcile with ‘big brother’ Shaquille O’Neal
Howard was a menace on defense and named Defensive Player of the Year three times
‘You know how they say you have to always stay in the moment, when you playing sports, anything like that? And I like to do that a lot, just try to stay in the moment,’ he said.
‘But you know, once I got that call, that’s when all the moments came back. The first moment I started playing basketball, the time I got drafted, my first early morning workouts, that’s when everything, kind of like popped up in my head.’
It came as no surprise to the NBA world that Howard – a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-NBA selection and five-time rebounding champ – was granted entrance into basketball’s hallowed halls.
But it was eyebrow-raising when he said he wanted O’Neal to walk him out at his induction ceremony in September (along with Kevin Garnett and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) – an offer which the elder ex-Lakers and Magic big man later confirmed he’d accepted.
While Howard describes O’Neal as a ‘big brother’ to him, the pair have feuded over the years, with O’Neal previously taking issue with Howard’s use of the ‘Superman’ nickname and repeatedly singling him out for criticism in his post-playing career as an analyst.
Even as recently as January, O’Neal called Howard a ‘sensitive big man’ on X, while Howard called O’Neal ‘insecure’ in return.
Three months later, though, Howard told the Daily Mail that the relationship had been repaired through ‘manifestation and communication’ and said that there had been a ‘misunderstanding’ between them.
‘I love him, I respect him, and he is someone that I looked up to, because when I watched him play, I was in the 10th, 11th grade, just a baby. What is there for me to be upset about with him? What am I hating on him [for]? Why would I hate him? So it was never any beef on my end,’ he said.
‘Now, was I was upset with the things he was saying? Yeah, because as a man, I feel as though if I have something to say about someone personally, I’m going to take that to them. I wouldn’t go out publicly and say anything like that. So I felt like he was taking a lot of personal jabs at me.’
While he was in town for his Magic Hall of Fame ceremony, Howard learned that O’Neal was eating dinner at the same restaurant as him and approached the 53-year-old to ask if they could speak.
Howard and O’Neal are seen embracing after a 2010 game between the Magic and Cavs
Howard was part of the USA Olympic team which won gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics
‘Overall, he apologized, it was just a misunderstanding, like a lot of things be,’ Howard said. ‘And what happen in life is people, when they have a misunderstanding, they tend to hate it, and they look at it as hate. So when you talk it out, that’s what two grown men supposed to do.
‘And we are the biggest men in the world, Supermen. And it’s no way that we shouldn’t be fighting crime together, as people would say, instead of fighting each other, especially with him being a big brother, older male figure in my life. It’s all about respecting anyway, give respect you earn respect back.’
Howard seemingly feels that respect from O’Neal now, though he isn’t sure his career has collectively been given the reverence it quite deserves.
It’s been over a decade since Howard’s last All-Star appearance, (and closer to 15 years when he was truly at the peak of his powers with Orlando), so it’s easy at times to forget just how impactful he was. Howard agrees that the passage of time will benefit how his career stacks up.
‘A lot of times, you don’t understand people’s presence until it’s not there anymore,’ he said. ‘And unfortunately, when you play this game for a very long time, and then the media – all different factors could key into [my career] being watered down.
‘But when the whole presence is gone, that’s when things is remembered. That’s when people look back and say, ‘Oh, my God, I remember. I see.’
He continued: ‘So I think it is a little bit, it has been disrespected. But now the fact that I’ve entered into the Hall of Fame is like, doesn’t even matter what anyone would say or think. I made it to the pinnacle.’
Howard’s NBA legacy is set in stone, though the 40-year-old – who said he feels like he’ ‘just getting to 30’ – will embark on a new sort of basketball challenge this summer when he plays in Ice Cube’s Big3.
Howard got emotional as he was interviewed during a Hall of Fame announcement on April 5
He capped off his career with an NBA title with the Lakers when he was 35 years old
Howard will continue playing this summer as he suits up in Ice Cube’s Big3 league
The 3-on-3 league, which has featured other ex- NBA stars like Joe Johnson, Jeff Teague and Stephen Jackson, had never been graced by Howard previously but he called it a ‘perfect’ time to join.
He’ll suit up for the Los Angeles Riot, which will be coached by another ex-Laker in Nick Young.
‘It’s going to be a lot of fun,’ Howard said. ‘I’ve been thinking about it so much, and I’m just glad that the opportunity is finally here.’
The league previously announced a partnership with Australia’s NBL, with the Big3 set to head down under for an ‘International BIG3 Showcase’ this winter.
First, though, Howard is looking forward to the summer ahead.
‘We would love, before we take it international, really get it popping over here in the States and more people involved with basketball.
‘…. So yeah, looking forward to expanding more of my skills, my mental capacity, and having a good time for the Riot.’
