When it comes to players with uniquely tough mindsets in the NBA, quite a few names come to mind. One such name is Dwight Howard. However, despite his tough mentality and equally impressive skills, the former NBA player believes he faced some massive snubs during his Hall of Fame career. Looking back, he believes that he seemingly underwent a major change, and he blames only one franchise for it. Guessing the Orlando Magic? Wrong.
Right after his high school stint at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, he went pro. In 2004, he was drafted as the No. 1 pick by the Magic. He was a power player leading the team. And for his competitive drive to win, he gives credit to the $3.4 billion franchise (as per Forbes) Detroit Pistons. But how? Howard recalled that after he entered the league, the Magic had one of their toughest battles against the Detroit Pistons.
“They kind of gave us the blueprint of what we needed to do to be successful like I need to change my mentality to be a beast in the paint,” Howard said during his appearance on the Club 520 podcast. He says that it was the Detroit Pistons who influenced him to work hard on his game, improve, and become undefeatable. This transformation, he says, came after the team suffered two back-to-back losses against the Magic in the playoffs.
“This is all on the Pistons’ team. So that team right there, the league, can blame them for me wanting to get in the weight room and wanting to like go after people because for two years straight they bullied us,” he added. And who made it difficult?
He added that one of the difficult players to deal with was Rasheed Wallace. Not just Howard, many others have praised the NBA legend Wallace. On the court, he was a great defender and a playmaker. In 2007, the Pistons clinched an unforgettable win over the Magic in the playoffs. It made an impact on the Magic and Howard. He let them motivate and encourage him.
Apr 5, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
After a legendary career and winning a championship with the Lakers, Howard is all set to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. He was elected as a first-ballot member of the Class of 2025, as per ESPN’s Shams Charania. During the podcast, Howard mentioned another unforgettable snub in his career.
Dwight Howard talked about 2011 MVP snub
Dwight Howard led the league in rebounding five times and clinched three Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2009 to 2011. He believes that he should have received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2011. “I thought that was my year. Obviously, I ain’t ever gonna hate on D-Rose cause that’s my dawg. But dang, I thought that was my year, bro,” Howard said.
However, many have admitted how Rose elevated the team. Howard highlighted his stats, too. During the 2010–2011 season, the 3 DPOY finished second in MVP voting behind Bulls legend Derrick Rose. Well, the Chicago Bulls guard received 113 out of a possible 121 first-place votes to become the youngest MVP in NBA history!
In interviews, he has emphasized that he has no personal issues with Rose and is not beefing with him. Still, he firmly believes the award should have gone to him. He also mentioned the criteria and said, “What is the actual rules on it? Cause it feel like every year they switch up.” In a previous conversation with Shaquille O’Neal and Adam Lefkoe, Howard reiterated this stance. What is your take on this?
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