ORLANDO, Fla. – Dwight Howard became the 13th inductee into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame at a ceremony Monday afternoon at the Kia Center, CEO Alex Martins recently announced.
An emotional Howard thanked his family, Magic owner Rich DeVos and his family and former coaches and players.
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“Thank you guys for letting me play for this beautiful franchise,” Howard said.
Howard was also be honored during Orlando’s game Monday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Dwight Howard left an undeniable imprint on the history of the Orlando Magic,” Martins said in a news release. “From being the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft to our trip to the 2009 NBA Finals, Dwight’s work helped us achieve great success during his eight seasons in a Magic uniform, both on the court and in the community. We are looking forward to inducting Dwight into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.”
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Howard played with the Magic from 2004 to 2012. He appeared in 621 regular season games (620 starts) with the team, averaging 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.16 blocks, and 1.01 steals per game in 36.2 minutes, while shooting 57.7% from the floor.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion reflecting on my journey with the Orlando Magic,”Howard said at a press conference announcing the honor on Monday afternoon. “It brings back a flood of memories, challenges, triumphs and most importantly, the people who stood by me throughout.”
Howard also played and started in 57 playoff games with Orlando, averaging 19.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.77 blocks in 39.4 minutes, while shooting 60.0% from the field. He played a key role in helping the Magic reach the 2009 NBA Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010.
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DWIGHT HOWARD HONORS
- Howard was named to the All-NBA First Team in five consecutive seasons from 2007 to 2012, the most of any player in Orlando history.
- Howard was named to the All-NBA Third Team once (2006-07)
- In 2009-10, Howard became the first player in franchise history to be named to the All-NBA First Team unanimously
- Howard made history as the first player in NBA history to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award for three consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2011.
- Howard earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors four times (2008-12) and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team once (2007-08). He was selected as an NBA All-Star six consecutive times from 2007 to 2012, leading all vote-getters in both 2009 and 2012.
- Howard was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2004-05 and received the NBA Player of the Month award six times, along with the NBA Player of the Week award 18 times, both of which are franchise records.
- Howard is a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025.
