Former Lakers Champion Dwight Howard Listed as Finalist For 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame

The three-time Laker was on the ballot for the first time.

Apr 7, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA: Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) hangs on the rim after a dunk during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers champion Dwight Howard has made the cut of 17 finalists to be enshrined among the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class, the Hall announced in a press statement Friday. He was on the ballot for the first time.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Announces 17 finalists for Class of 2025 Election.

🔗: https://t.co/X1s49XsuJd #25HoopClass pic.twitter.com/e7IHheA5pC

— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) February 15, 2025

The Hall is slated to announce its full class on April 5 at the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio. Howard and a former Lakers teammate, 19-year NBA forward Carmelo Anthony, both seem likely to make the grade this year.

Read More: One-Time Lakers Forward Carmelo Anthony Named Finalist for 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame

Howard served three separate stints for Los Angeles. Howard and his maximum-salaried contract were first acquired by the Lakers from the Orlando Magic for the 2012-13 season, when he was at the tail-end of his All-Star prime.

The 6-foot-10 superstar big man joined a team that also included aging future Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol — and they finished with a middling 45-37 record and got swept out of the the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.

Howard departed for the Houston Rockets in free agency the next summer. He returned to L.A. once again ahead of the 2019-20 season on a non-guaranteed veteran's minimum deal. Howard at this point was just a rim-rolling role player, and thrived in his gig alongside two other future Hall of Famers, forward LeBron James and big man Anthony Davis, en route to his lone NBA title.

Finally, Howard linked back up with James and Davis on an ill-fated 2021-22 squad that missed the postseason entirely.

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Howard, now 39, has been out of the league since that season. He is an eight-time All-Star, an eight-time All-NBA honoree, a five-time All-Defensive Teamer, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a 2008 Olympic gold medalist.

Dwight Howard, a three-time DPOY, one-time champion with the Lakers in 2020 and one-time Olympic gold medalist is a HOF finalist. pic.twitter.com/3rJdNE6MA6

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 14, 2025

Across 1,242 career regular season games (1,048 starts), he holds averages of 15.7 points on 58.7 percent shooting from the floor and 56.7 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.3 steals and 0.9 steals a night.

Beyond the Lakers, Rockets and Magic, Howard also suited up for the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.

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