Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy Slams Dwight Howard 75th Anniversary Team Omission: 'Absolutely Ridiculous!'
Since the NBA created its list for the 75 Greatest Players back in 2021, Orlando Magic legend Dwight Howard has been viewed as a glaring omission.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2004 went to eight consecutive All-Star games in Orlando and has built one of the most impressive statistical resumés on both ends of the floor.
Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy believes that Howard should've made the 75th Anniversary Team over a current Los Angeles Lakers big man.
"You cannot make a case that Anthony Davis, when they picked that team or even now, had a better career than Dwight Howard," Van Gundy told The Players' Tribune. "That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Van Gundy coached Howard from 2007-12 in Orlando, and while the pair had a questionable relationship ... especially at the end of his Magic tenure, it's clear that the respect is still there.
The Davis vs. Howard argument is one that will live in basketball circles for a very long time.
Davis has been widely considered as one of the best power forwards/centers since he was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets (the year before they changed their name to the Pelicans) with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012. Davis was also selected to eight consecutive All-Star games, but his numerous injuries throughout the prime of his career have been one of the main reasons why fans believe Howard deserves the honor over him.
Nevertheless, the two of them aren't adversaries themselves, especially since a they won the NBA Finals with the Lakers during the 2019-20 season.
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