Overview

• Inducted into the Class of 2025, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year capped an 18-season career that featured five rebounding titles, a 2020 Lakers championship and 2008 Olympic gold.
• On stage, he joked about abandoning his prepared remarks, thanked his parents and described finally feeling respected after being left off the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
• He praised former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy as the best coach of his career and acknowledged the Magic’s 2009 Finals run and his Lakers title teammates.
• Shaquille O’Neal presented him alongside Dominique Wilkins, Patrick Ewing and Robert Parish as Howard publicly underscored their reconciled relationship.
• He finished with career averages of 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, ranking 10th in rebounds and 13th in blocks, and he is noted locally as the 14th Rockets player in the Hall.