“First I want to start by thanking my parents, my mom and my dad,” Dwight Howard said with tears in his eyes. It was a big moment for the former NBA player. The Steelman just got honored for his contribution to the Orlando Magic. For six straight seasons, he helped the team reach the postseason eventually making it to the NBA Finals in 2009. He is never forgotten and never will be, as the franchise inducted the champ into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame. After a heart-touching speech, the ex-NBA player took to social media to open up about his emotions.
Standing in the Kia Center and looking at the crowd and the surroundings, Howard drew upon the sweet and sometimes even bitter memories of his eight seasons with the Orlando Magic. Each moment must have flashed in front of his eyes as he gave his speech. There was still much that he couldn’t say. Taking to his x handle, the 3xDPOY expressed his gratitude.
“Those tears today were tears of JOY Tears for that 10 year old that said he was going to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft! Tears for the 18 year old kid that was handed the keys to a franchise and a city. Tears for the ups & downs on this long journey I had in the NBA. Everything comes full circle and I want to thank the Magic again for inducting me into the Orlando Magic HOF ” Howard wrote.
Those tears today were tears of JOY
Tears for that 10 year old that said he was going to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft! Tears for the 18 year old kid that was handed the keys to a franchise and a city. Tears for the ups & downs on this long journey I had in the NBA. Everything… pic.twitter.com/VxgaqSjxJ3
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) March 25, 2025
From being a young kid dreaming of playing basketball to that first NBA Finals Game 3 win over the Los Angeles Lakers for the Orlando Magic to ultimately winning an NBA championship in 2020, the champ has come a long way. But this night was all about Howard’s time with the Magic.
Be it winning Defensive Player of the Year back-to-back three times or a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, neither the fans nor Howard himself forgot those moments. He got emotional as he spoke about the team, his time with the franchise, and the Magic fans. His parents, sitting in the audience teary-eyed, watched their son, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, share his experience.
“The NBA is a very tough sport, it’s very difficult to go through and you guys have been there from day one….So thank you,” he said. Despite such great memories, he had one disappointment that he voiced ahead of the ceremony.
Dwight Howard addressed his one disappointment at the ceremony
Addressing the fans, he declared that he had made them upset by leaving the Magic to join the Lakers. Howard was undeniably a crucial piece for the Magic. He won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award 6 times. He also has held the franchise’s top spots for 6 NBA Player of the Month wins as well as 18 NBA Player of the Week awards. However, after back-to-back first-round playoff exits, the 8x All-NBA Team honoree grew exhausted and decided to ask for a trade.
The exit didn’t look very good at the time, with fans visibly and vocally expressing their disappointment. However, he had made the decision and then went on to play for the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers.
As he is bestowed with the highest honor by the Orlando Magic, he addressed this moment. “I know I disappointed a lot of you guys and in some ways I disappointed myself. But that’s a whole part of life. Every day we learn, we grow. Thank you guys for supporting me all my beautiful years here. Paolo don’t leave them, man. Don’t leave them,” he told Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
Regardless, the love that the Orlando Magic fans, the franchise, and the staff have for the champ has remained the same.
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