Congratulations to 8x @NBAAllStar, 2020 @NBA Champion, and 3x NBA Defensive Player of the Year, #25HoopClass inductee Dwight Howard. pic.twitter.com/DiNgDYZ6J1
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) April 5, 2025
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dwight Howard, a former Orlando Magic player and first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee and was recently inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.
Also selected for enshrinement: NBA great Carmelo Anthony, WNBA greats Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Bulls coach and two-time NCAA champion Billy Donovan, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison and longtime NBA referee Danny Crawford.
Enshrinement weekend is Sept. 5-6 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, and the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
“When the call comes and in my case, I saw Springfield on the phone,” Carmelo Anthony said on the televised announcement. “You know what time it is? Springfield is on the phone. You know who it is. You get the phone call, and you hear, ‘You’re in.’ And I think for me, it was a burden off of my shoulders.”
Billy Donovan won back-to-back titles as a college coach with Florida. Arison oversaw Miami’s path to NBA titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013. Crawford worked NBA games for 32 seasons and was picked to work the NBA Finals in 23 of those years.
“For some, this is an individual honor,” Arison said. “But for me, this speaks to what our entire Heat family — players, coaches, staff and fans — have built together.”
The Redeem Team’s selection means that Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd, and Kobe Bryant — already enshrined as Hall of Famers — essentially now go in for a second time. James and Paul, who are obviously both locks to get into the Hall after they retire, also played for that Olympic team, as did Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, and Tayshaun Prince.
Multimedia video
ESPN video / Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame FULL ANNOUNCEMENT 🏀 Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Dwight Howard & MORE / Rece Davis and Jay Bilas reveal the 9 inductees of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame who will be inducted into the 2025 Hall of Fame class in September. Segments as follows:
0:00 Induction announcement;
3:32 Carmelo Anthony;
10:36 Dwight Howard;
15:45 Mike Krzyzewski for the 2008 Redeem Team;
21:03 Billy Donovan;
26:15 Sue Bird, Maya Moore & Sylvia Fowles;
33:10 Referee veteran Danny Crawford;
35:38 Micky Arison.
Multimedia video
Orlando Magic video / April 6, 2025 / Orlando Magic All Access: Recap: Dwight Howard in the Magic HOF | Presented by City National Bank.
Here's a summary of Dwight Howard's accomplishments and his path to the Hall of Fame:
Orlando Magic Hall of Fame:
- Howard was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame on March 24, 2025, becoming the 13th inductee.
- He played eight seasons with the Magic from 2004-2012, leading them to the 2009 NBA Finals.
- He is the Magic's all-time leader in points (11,435), rebounds (8,072), and blocked shots (1,344).
- He was named to the All-NBA First Team in five consecutive seasons from 2007-2012, the most of any player in Orlando history.
- He was an NBA All-Star six consecutive times from 2007-2012.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
- Howard was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee.
- He joins Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Danny Crawford, the 2008 U.S. Olympic men's team, Billy Donovan, and Micky Arison in the Class of 2025.
- Howard's career saw him rise and peak with the Orlando Magic, where he earned five straight All-NBA first-team nods, won three straight Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and led the team to the 2009 NBA Finals.
- He is one of only four players to win DPOY at least three times, alongside Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, and Rudy Gobert.
About the Headline Surfer Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is an award-winning journalist who launched Headline Surfer in 2008, which serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando via