Dwight Howard will go down as one of the most dominant big men in the history of the NBA. He was athletic, strong as an ox, skilled around the basket, and one of the elite rim protectors in the game. He had career averages of 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in his Hall of Fame performance in the league. He was fantastic to watch nightly.
For one season, Howard played for the Philadelphia 76ers where he averaged 7.0 points and 8.4 rebounds off the bench as he backed up Joel Embiid in the 2020-21 season. His work with the Sixers helped the franchise earn the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2001 and he was able to make things happen for Philadelphia.
HoopsHype is ranking the top 80 players in the history of the game and Howard
comes in ranked No. 62 on the list:
At one time, Dwight Howard was the best big man in the NBA, a run that spanned multiple seasons with the Magic. Howard was an awe-inspiring athlete for his size, who would often sky for rebounds, block shots or finish alley-oops. Like Gasol, Howard was another glaring omission from the NBA75 list despite being a Top 10 rebounder ever, ranking 15th all-time in blocks and having three Defensive Player of the Year awards. But that might have to do with him not being that well-liked by coaches and teammates during his time in the league.
Howard, of course, will be remembered mostly for his time with the Orlando Magic as well as being the championship center for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, but he made an impact in a number of areas for every team he played for.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Former Sixers C Dwight Howard ranked No. 62 best player in NBA history
