Former Philadelphia 76ers Big Man in Line for Major Honor

Dwight Howard is a Basketball Hall of Fame nominee.

Jun 2, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard (39) celebrates with guards George Hill (33) and Ben Simmons (25) during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards in game five of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the nominees for the upcoming Basketball Hall of Fame class were announced, among them is former Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard.

Howard was selected with the first pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic, a team that he would help lead to the NBA Finals in 2009.

Following his time in Orlando, Howard would move to the Los Angeles Lakers for his first of three trips there.

Howard’s single season run alongside Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash would end in the Western Conference finals as they were swept by the eventual runner up San Antonio Spurs.

Dwight Howard is a nominee for the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025!

◾ 8 x All-NBA
◾ 5 x Rebound Leader
◾ 3 x DPOY
◾ 2 x Blocks leader
◾ 2nd in MVP voting (2011)
◾ He also has 8 30/20 games, 4 25/25 games & 1 30/30 game! pic.twitter.com/khs3mLmm3H

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 19, 2024

Beyond this, Howard would continue to rack up his last All-Star appearance as a part of the Houston Rockets, before bouncing around the league with the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks as well as the Lakers for a second time, where he’d pick up his first and only championship ring.

As previously mentioned, Howard spent a small part of his career in the City of Brotherly Love, appearing in 69 games during the 2020-21 season in which he averaged seven points and eight rebounds.

The former NBA champion spent his time under Doc Rivers playing back up for Joel Embiid, coming off of the bench to provide the team with intensity.

After departing Philadelphia, Howard would return to Los Angeles for the final time before taking his talents to the Taoyuan Leopards in the Tawainese Professional Basketball League.

Following his 18 year career, Howard has quite the resume to look over as he was an eight time All-Star, five-time rebound leader, and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Other notable nominees for the Class of 2025 include Carmelo Anthony, Billy Donovan, and Marc Gasol amongst others.