At long last, Dwight Howard came, delivered, and took his place among the Orlando Magic greats.
But not without the man nicknamed as “Superman” showing some emotions.
“This is my home. It will always, forever, be my home; you guys will always be my family,” a teary-eyed Howard said after becoming the latest inductee to the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.
D12 💙
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 24, 2025
Howard became just 13th player in Magic history to get the induction, joining Pat Williams (2014), Nick Anderson (2014), Shaquille O’Neal (2015), Rich DeVos (2016), Anfernee Hardaway (2017), Jimmy Hewitt (2017), Tracy McGrady (2018), David Steele (2019), Darrell Armstrong (2020), John Gabriel (2022), Brian Hill (2022) and Dennis Scott (2023).
@DwightHoward sees his Magic Hall of Fame pedestal for the 1st time 💙
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 24, 2025
The former top overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft spoke from the heart and took the opportunity to reflect on his time with the Magic while expressing gratitude to his fans, ex-teammates and former coaches, and his family.
“First of all, I wanna thank my parents – my mom and my dad — for supporting me throughout this journey. You guys have been there from day 1,” Howard said.
"You guys have been there from day 1..."
— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2025
Dwight Howard gets emotional when addressing his parents as he's inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame 🥹
Howard spent his first nine seasons in the league in Orlando, becoming one the most unstoppable forces on both ends of the floor during his heyday.
He averaged 18.4 points, 13 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 621 career regular season games with the Magic, all while becoming the first player in league history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in three straight seasons from 2009-11.
A former All-Star Slam Dunk champion himself, the big man also thanked Rashard Lewis, Hedo Türkoglu, Jameer Nelson and the rest of the 2008-09 Magic team that he led to the Finals.
“Our journey to the Finals was a testament to our unity, faith, and love for each other. These guys pushed me to be something better. While I was hard-headed, they did their best to try and give it to me.
"To my teammates from the 2008-09 season..."
— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2025
Dwight thanks his teammates and reminisces on the @OrlandoMagic run to the NBA Finals 💯 https://t.co/OjwJFCuz24
Howard also stands as the franchise’s all-time leader in points scored (11,435), rebounds (8,072), blocked shots (1,344), free throws made (3,366), free throws attempted (5,727) and minutes played (22,471).
“I really grew up here … This feeling that I get every time I come back. To now be a part of the Magic Hall of Fame, it’s unbelievable,” the 2020 champion with the LA Lakers said.
Speaking of the Lakers, Howard was recognized in halftime of the Magic’s 118-106 win over LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Purple and Gold squad.
Dwight Howard is officially a member of the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame 🌟🌟
— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2025
Congrats, @DwightHoward!
Furthermore, the39-year-old penned a heartfelt message to his fans and the Magic ownership on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“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,” said the newest member of the Magic Hall of Fame.
Those tears today were tears of JOY
— Dwight Howard (@DwightHoward) March 25, 2025
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…
