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Although Dwight Howard is now playing overseas, he is attempting another return to the NBA after a one-year absence. Even though he doesn't play in the league, he still finds a way to make headlines, either with his comments on Team USA or with his podcast appearances.
The former Orlando Magic and LA Lakers big man appeared in the "Inspired By Hoops" podcast and named his all-time starting five. His choices were interesting: Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his "Orlando" self.
"Y'all gonna have to find a way to beat this team. We will let Hakeem play the point. I'm playing the two. You got Wilt, Shaq and Kareem at the three, four, five. ... Who's stopping them? I'll wait. Name five," Howard said.
Howard's video went viral, with fans roasting him for his picks.
"The free throw line stopping y'all," one fan remarked.
"Actually, think he’s right," said another fan.
"2017 Warriors would hit 25 three pointers against this starting 5," said a fan.
"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player refer to just his prime, lol, when he said 'Orlando Dwight,'" remarked another fan.
"5 Ben Simmons beats that lineup," joked a fan.
"This is why the Warriors didn't sign him," said a fan.
"Whose stopping this team? The 3 second violation," argued another fan.
"The free throw line," joked a fan.
"Lol, why did Dwight put himself on that list???" asked a fan.
"How they getting the ball up court?" joked another fan.
"Not a single one can move laterally quick enough to guard the perimeter. Curry, Dame and three scrubs would wreck them from the arc," argued yet another fan.
Dwight Howard hopeful for comeback on Orlando Magic
As stated earlier, Howard is exploring the possibility of returning to the NBA and would welcome a move to the Orlando Magic, where he spent the first eight years of his career (2004-2012), cementing himself as one of the best big men in the league.
During his stint with Orlando, Howard became an All-Star six times and even played in the 2009 NBA Finals, losing to the LA Lakers in five games. Howard won his sole championship with the Lakers 11 years later (2020).
"I would definitely want to come back and be a part of the Magic, their team and what they're trying to accomplish in Orlando now. … Would be a great [thing to be] in Orlando to finish out my career where I started it, and for the young and upcoming and promising team who I feel would need some type of veteran leadership. … I think it'll be very beneficial to the players, to the city, to the organization," Dwight Howard said on Twitter Space when asked about potentially rejoining Orlando, via ClutchPoints.
Howard attempted a return to the NBA a few days ago, when he worked out for the Golden State Warriors. However, the franchise decided to move ahead without him.
"I think looking at it going into training camp right now, we have five guys who can give us minutes at the five position. We wanna make sure there's enough reps in camp and early on in the season. We will constantly be evaluating and keeping flexibility open," Mike Dunleavy said during an appearance on The Athletic NBA Show regarding the decision to not sign Howard, via Anthony Slater.
Howard has appeared in 1242 games during his NBA career and has averages of 15.7 ppg and 11.8 rpg.
