'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
When the NBA announced its 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, AKA the “NBA 75,” there were a few notable omissions. One of the biggest snubs was former Orlando Magic superstar center Dwight Howard.
Howard’s omission led to countless debates surrounding his all-time ranking at the time. These debates were reignited earlier this week by Howard’s former coach Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy called it “absolutely ridiculous” that LA Lakers star big man Anthony Davis made the NBA 75 list over Howard.
Both Howard and Davis have racked up impressive resumes over their respective careers. On that note, let’s take a look at how their careers compare.
Comparing Dwight Howard’s and Anthony Davis’ careers
Dwight Howard was widely regarded as the best center and best defender in the league during his prime.
Howard took home three Defensive Player of the Year trophies. He was also named to eight All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams and five All-Defensive teams. In addition, he led the NBA in rebounding in five different seasons and was the league’s blocks leader in two seasons.
However, perhaps Howard’s most impressive accomplishment came during the 2009 playoffs. Howard carried the Magic over the league-best Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16) led by superstar forward LeBron James in the Eastern Conference finals.
Orlando ultimately lost in the 2009 NBA Finals 4-1 to the LA Lakers. Nonetheless, many agree that Howard’s 2009 playoff run was still one of the more impressive runs in recent memory. He later earned his first and only title in 2020 as a role player with the Lakers.
Howard averaged 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game on 58.7% shooting over 18 seasons.
As for Anthony Davis, his career is still in full swing and he has already racked up a ton of accolades over his first 11 seasons.
Davis has made eight All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams and four All-Defensive teams. He has also led the league in blocks on three different occasions. In addition, AD played a key role on the LA Lakers’ 2020 NBA title team as a co-star alongside LeBron James.
Davis has career averages of 24.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 spg and 2.3 bpg on 51.9% shooting over 11 seasons.
The final verdict
As for the final verdict, one quick glance at Dwight Howard’s and Anthony Davis’ career accomplishments should be all it takes to make a decision.
Howard clearly has the edge in career accolades, particularly defensive accolades. Meanwhile, he led his team to the finals as a clear-cut No. 1 option. Davis, on the other hand, had to team up with another top star to make his first finals appearance.
AD may be the better and more versatile offensive player. It could also be argued that Davis is the more talented all-around player. However, at this point, it’s hard to argue that he has had a better career than Howard.
Luckily for Davis, he still has plenty of time to pad his resume and surpass Howard given that he is still just 30 years old.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
