Former NBA Superstar Dwight Howard Believes He Can Still Stop MVP Nikola Jokic

The eight-time All-Star has been out of the league for three seasons.

Apr 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Former superstar NBA center Dwight Howard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year while with the Orlando magic, believes he's still capable of defending the league's best player, three-time MVP Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

The eight-time All-Star has been out of the league for three seasons.

When asked by another championship-winning superstar NBA big man, Kevin Garnett, on the latter's All The Smoke podcast "KG Certified," if he was confident he could still contain Jokic (or, at least, inhibit his awesomeness), Howard did not hesitate to answer in the affirmative.

“Everything was a message.”

Dwight Howard had the clamps on Nikola Jokic in the bubble in more ways than one 🔒

KG’s full sitdown with @DwightHoward is available now on the KG Certified YouTube. pic.twitter.com/5fj573hEqI

— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) November 19, 2024

Howard was pretty clearly trying to pitch himself to any NBA front offices who might be tuning in to the podcast.

"Oh hell yeah. There's no doubt in my mind," Howard said. “And it's not that he's a bad player, like people think I be hating on him... I play defense, so I'm not tripping on him. I think he's an amazing, awesome player. The stuff he's doing on the court is crazy. I just feel like you've got to have somebody that's going to match that energy. And if I'm out there, everything he's doing, I'm going to match it. If I'm getting the ball, I'm going to dunk it as hard just as he's going to get an assist.. If they'd allowed me to hoop like they allowed him to hoop, I bet you he won’t have those numbers on me.”

Howard also explained his methodical defensive approach to consistently aggravating the 2023 champ.

"Everything was a message," Howard said of his strategy. "Every little thing. And it wasn't just like I was trying to be boisterous with it or talk s--- in a way, but... I wanted him to see that, every time he looked up, I was right there. You know, in the bubble, all of us had our own meal rooms. I went to his meal room while he was in there, just to peak my head in there and say 'What's up' to everybody."

Howard was selected with the top overall pick straight out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in the 2004 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 big man suited up for the Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers across an 18-year pro NBA career. He won a title with the Lakers in the COVID-19-mandated 2020 Orlando bubble, and was a critical defensive component of the club's attack against Jokic and the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Howard last suited up in the league for Los Angeles, in 2021-22.

The 38-year-old most recently suited up for T1 League squad the Taoyuan Leopards.

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