Dwight Howard’s career spanned 18 seasons, eight franchises, and more highs and lows than most All-Stars ever face. But ask him what truly defined his basketball story, and he points to one moment: the 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, says that bubble title in Orlando was the perfect closing chapter to nearly two decades of work. Speaking on Brandon “ScoopB” Robinson’s Scoop B show, Howard didn’t hold back. “I think it was just the cherry on top,” he said. “What I did in Orlando was very special for eight years, and then after that, continuing to play at a high level – 18 years in the league is a long time to be consistent on both ends of the floor.”
In the bubble, Howard embraced a role few envisioned for him when he was dominating in Orlando. Coming off the bench, he brought toughness, rim protection, and veteran presence that meshed perfectly with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. For the Lakers, it meant their first title since 2010. For Howard, it meant redemption.
From Superstar to Role Player – and Finally a Champion
The path to that championship wasn’t smooth. Howard’s early run with the Magic included a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals, but what followed was years of bouncing between franchises – Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, Philadelphia, and multiple stints with the Lakers.
By the time the 2020 playoffs rolled around, many doubted whether he had much left. Instead, he delivered. His physical play against Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference Finals became a turning point in the series, earning praise from teammates and media alike. “Dwight gave us exactly what we needed,” LeBron James said at the time, via The Athletic.
Howard himself looks at that run as career-defining. “That championship sealed my legacy,”he said. “People can say whatever they want about my journey, but at the end of the day, I’m an NBA champion.”
Regrets Over What Could Have Been
Despite the celebration, Howard admits there’s one part of the story that still stings. The Lakers didn’t bring him back for the following season, choosing instead to retool the roster. Howard signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, backing up Joel Embiid, but says he wished he had a shot to defend the title. “I was highly upset that I didn’t get a chance to compete for a title defense,”he said. “I believed we had a special team and a window to win multiple years.”
Howard returned to the Lakers in 2021-22, though by then the roster had changed, and the momentum from the bubble was gone. The team has yet to return to the Finals since that 2020 run.
Hall of Fame Bound
Looking back now, the resume is undeniable: eight All-Star selections, five All-NBA First Team appearances, three Defensive Player of the Year trophies, and that elusive championship ring. Without the Lakers’ bubble run, the narrative might have been different. With it, Howard enters the Hall of Fame as both a dominant force and, finally, a champion.
“Without that championship, there would always be a ‘but,'”ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted of Howard’s career arc. Now, as Howard steps into basketball immortality, that “but” is gone.
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