39-year-old Howard inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame! Affectionate speech with tears streaming down his eyes and thanking Big Van Gundy many times

On March 25, Beijing time, Dwight Howard officially became the 13th inductee of the Magic Hall of Fame. The Magic held a selection ceremony for him at the Kia Center near the Magic Fan Experience Zone, and in addition to the selection ceremony, Howard will also receive a tribute at the Magic's home game against the Lakers.

Magic CEO Martins said, "Howard has left an indelible mark on the history of the Orlando Magic. From being selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft to leading us to the 2009 NBA Finals, Dwight's eight seasons with the Magic have helped us achieve great success, both on the court and in the community. We are very much looking forward to inducting Dwight Howard into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame." ”

When it came time to give a speech, Howard was so excited that he cried many times. He thanked former head coach Stan Van Gundy several times: "Without Stan, there would be no Dwight. I know we've had arguments and disagreements, but Stan is my little buddy. "Howard also thanked the Magic." This is my home. It will always be my home! ”

Howard was selected by the Orlando Magic in the 2004 NBA Draft and played for the Magic for eight seasons from 2004 to 2012. He played in 621 regular-season games (620 of which were starts) for the Magic, averaging 36.2 minutes per game, chipped in 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.16 blocks and 1.01 steals while shooting 57.7 percent from the field (4,034 of 6,988 shooting).

In the playoffs, Howard also excelled, playing and starting 57 games for the Magic, averaging 39.4 minutes per game, contributing 19.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.77 blocks while shooting 60.0% from the field (393-of-655). He helped the Magic reach the 2009 NBA Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010.

During his time with the Magic, Howard was named to the All-NBA First Team for five consecutive seasons from 2007-2012, an accomplishment that surpassed any other player in Magic history, in addition to being named to the All-NBA First Team once in 2006-07. In the 2009-10 season, he became the first player in Magic history to be unanimously named to the All-NBA First Team. From 2008 to 2011, Howard became the first player in NBA history to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for three consecutive seasons. He was named to the All-NBA First Team four times (2008-2012) and once (2007-08) to the All-NBA Second Team.

In addition, Howard was selected as an NBA All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 2007-2012. In the 2004-05 season, he was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Team for a while. He was named NBA Player of the Month six times and NBA Player of the Week 18 times, both of which are the most in Magic's franchise history. Howard also received the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Contribution Award a record six times (2004-05, 2007-12), which recognizes players who have gone beyond the basketball court to make a difference in the lives of others.

Howard is the Orlando Magic's all-time leading scorer (11,435 points), rebounding (8,072), blocks (1,344), free throw made (3,366), free throw made (5,727) and minutes played (22,471). As of this season, he ranks third on the Magic's all-time list for appearances (621), third for field field goals (4,034), fourth for steals (626) and fourth for field shots (6,988).

Howard is one of the finalists for the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Orlando Magic announced their inaugural Hall of Fame inductees on April 9, 2014, with Magic co-founder Pat Williams and the team's first draft player, current community ambassador Nick Anderson, among the first inductees. Now, Howard will also be joined by O'Neal (2015 induction), Rich DeVos (2016 induction), Anfernee Hardaway (2017 induction), Jimmy Hewitt (2017 induction), Tracy McGrady (2018 induction), David Steele (2019 induction), Darrell Armstrong (2020 induction), John Gabriel (2022 induction), Brian Hill (2022). inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.