Dwight Howard has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Howard is a first-ballot member of the Naismith Hall of Fame. Howard was an eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, three-time Defensive Player of Year, a 2020 NBA champion and won one Olympic gold medal with Team USA. Howard averaged 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds in 18 NBA seasons with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. The preeminent defensive presence of his era, Howard, who was the No. 1 overall pick of the Magic in the 2004 draft, won three straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2009 to 2011. He led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, and he won his only championship with the Lakers during the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season.

Howard will be joined in the Class of 2025 by Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was informed of his induction earlier in the week. Other finalists include Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Buck Williams, the 2008 U.S. Olympic team and many others. The Class of 2025 will be announced Saturday at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio. Enshrinement weekend will begin at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on Sept. 5, with the tip-off celebration and awards gala, inclusive of the Class of 2025 jacket and ring presentation and the annual Hall of Fame Awards. The enshrinement ceremony will take place Sept. 6 in Springfield at the Hall of Fame.

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