In honor of its 75th anniversary, the NBA has released a list of its 75 greatest players ever, and Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard wasn’t on it.
He had a brief but poignant response to the snub.
View this post on Instagram
Howard may be close to the end of his career today, but years ago he was a force to be reckoned with.
The Atlanta native was an outstanding rebounder and ferocious defender. He consistently averaged double digits in rebounds for many seasons and was one of the league’s most feared rim protectors.
In fact, he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award three consecutive seasons.
Those who feel Howard wasn’t a truly dominant player would probably point to the offensive end. Although he was a capable scorer, he never really developed any consistent low-post or one-on-one offensive moves.
After years of flaming out in the playoffs, Howard returned to the Lakers two seasons ago after his failed first stint in 2013, and his defense and rebounding were key in their championship run.
Now that he’s back, the team is hoping he will provide those same assets to help it win its 18th NBA title.
