Dwight Howard will reach basketball’s highest honor on Saturday when he is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2025 player class. The ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PT and will air live on NBA TV.
The 38-year-old center enters Springfield with an eight-time All-Star résumé, eight All-NBA selections and three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2009 through 2011. He also appeared in two NBA Finals and captured his lone championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
The ‘cherry on top’
Although Howard was no longer at his peak during the 2019-20 season, he played a key rotational role for Los Angeles, particularly in the Western Conference Finals while defending Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. Asked how that title fits within his career, Howard said it completed his body of work.
“I think it was just the cherry on top,” he explained. “What I did in Orlando was very special for eight years, and to continue playing at a high level for 18 years on both ends of the floor is amazing.”
Hall entrance as ‘DH12’
When pressed on whether he identifies more with the Orlando Magic or the Lakers at induction, Howard offered a lighthearted response: “I think I’m going into the Hall of Fame as DH12—the basketball player, the philanthropist, the dominant big. That’s DH12 going into the Hall of Fame.”
Shaquille O’Neal among presenters
Former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal, once a public rival of Howard, will serve as one of the official presenters during Saturday’s ceremony after the two recently reconciled.
Howard’s induction adds a Hall of Fame credential to a career already defined by elite defense, rebounding dominance and a championship run that helped secure the Lakers’ 17th NBA title.
Source: Lakers Nation
