Sixers' Danny Green Praises Dwight Howard for his Work Ethic and Leadership

Dwight Howard is changing the culture for the Sixers, and Danny Green applauds his veteran teammate for it.

Philadelphia 76ers veteran center Dwight Howard didn't always have the best reputation in the locker room with his previous teams. However, things change. These days, Howard has accepted his value isn't just high when he's on the court. Instead, he's arguably more valuable to the locker room and on the bench.

Ever since he signed with the Sixers, Howard made it clear he was coming to Philly to help their team achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship. As he acknowledges the team needs its two stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, to lead the way, Howard has done all he can to guide them so far.

But the veteran center doesn't just keep his focus on Simmons and Embiid. He has also taken several young Sixers under his wing. Earlier this week, when the 76ers wrapped up a win over the Toronto Raptors, Howard hit the court for a postgame workout. However, he wasn't alone. Coming out with Howard was Sixers rookies Tyrese Maxey and Isaiah Joe.

Then on Saturday night, moments after Philly defeated the Charlotte Hornets, Howard was back on the floor for another workout. Except for this time, he had a bigger group with him. Isaiah Joe, Dakota Mathias, Terrance Ferguson, and Matisse Thybulle all made their way back out onto the floor for a postgame shootaround with Howard.

Meanwhile, Howard's veteran teammate Danny Green participated in a Zoom call with the media back in the Sixers locker room. As Green knew there were some extracurricular activities led by Howard going on out on the floor, Green couldn't help but talk up the Sixers' veteran big man.

"Dwight is just a workaholic," Green said as Howard sprinted up and down the floor 30 minutes after the game. "He's the type of guy [where] we have to tell him to get out of the gym and give his body a rest. He's the type [to] burn his body and burn himself out if you let him."

Howard pushing his physical limits might be somewhat of an issue for the 76ers, who need him to stay ready and healthy. But on the other hand, his relentless work ethic is becoming contagious, and Green knows just how beneficial that is for younger players who came into the league in recent years.

"He knows what we need to hear, especially with those young guys," Green continued. "He's teaching them how to be professional, and I think it's key -- it's big. The reason why we're playing the way we are is not by accident. It's because of the people that [the front office] have brought in. The coaching staff and guys like Dwight emphasizing what needs to happen defensively and offensively, moving the ball. Hopefully, it sticks, and hopefully, we keep continuing to grow on it and build on it."

So far, the Sixers are off to a red-hot start as they collected their fifth win on Saturday night, moving to 5-1 on the year. While having sole possession of the first seed in the Eastern Conference is a good sign, it's still too early into the season for the 76ers to get too comfortable. There's a lot of basketball left to be played, but the Sixers are on the right track -- and Howard's leadership is a big reason for that.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_