Lakers News: Why Teammate Of Title-Winning LA Center Considers Big Man Hall Of Famer

He's right.

The topic of 2020 Los Angeles Lakers champion Dwight Howard's Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame eligibility has curiously become an item of some debate.

As an eight-time All-Star and All-NBA honoree, five-time All-Defensive Teamer, four-time top-five finisher in league MVP voting, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and the best player on an NBA Finals team (the 2009 Orlando Magic), the 6'10" center has accumulated the appropriate bona fides over the course of his 18-year NBA career to earn a First Ballot trip to the Hall of Fame.

Howard's former Orlando Magic teammate Rafer Alston, who served alongside him on the aforementioned 2009 Finals also-ran team that fell in a five-game series against Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the rest of your Lakers, doesn't believe Howard has quite what it takes to make it to Springfield on the first try, though he does think the Artist Formerly Known As D12 is Hall-worthy.

He said as much to Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson earlier this summer at an event for And1 Basketball in New York City:

Dwight Howard’s “one of the best bigs to ever play the game” says former Orlando Magic teammate Rafer Alston to @BallySports during @and1basketball’s open run in NYC.

Full Interview ➡️ https://t.co/Emo7Hp2FRn

Alston also discussed playing against Kobe in ‘09 NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/usNEk9vxaZ

— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 26, 2023

"I think so," Alston noted when asked whether or not Howard deserved the honor. "He ranks up there as one of the best bigs to ever play the game. I think his numbers show that he's a Hall of Famer... I don't think he's a first-ballot [Hall of Famer], but he'll definitely get in." 

Keep in mind, Howard boasts an average of 15.7 points on 58.7% field goal shooting, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 steals across 1,242 regular season contests (1,078 starts). In 125 playoff bouts (102 starts), Howard logged averages of 15.3 points on 58.9% shooting, 11.8 boards, 2.0 blocks, 1.2 dimes and 0.8 steals per bout.

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