Dwight Howard gives emotional Magic Hall of Fame induction speech
03/24/2025 10:15 PM
On Monday night, the Orlando Magic inducted Dwight Howard into the franchise Hall of Fame, and at the perfect time too, what with one of the most important teams of Howard’s career, the Los Angeles Lakers, visiting town. Howard may have not exited from the Magic back in 2012 on the smoothest of terms, but there is no denying that he is one of the best players in the history of the franchise — especially after leading them all the way to the NBA Finals in 2009.
It’s now been over a decade since Howard last suited up for the Magic, but Orlando is always going to be the place where the highflying center coming out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy spent his formative years, maturing in the process and learning what it truly is like to be a professional in the NBA.
“This is my home. It will always, forever, be my home; you guys will always be my family. I love you guys forever. So thank you again for this moment. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of Orlando Magic history and that number 12,” Howard said in an emotional speech, via the official Magic account on X.
"This is my home. It will always, forever, be my home; you guys will always be my family."
Dwight Howard gets emotional while speaking at his Oralando Magic hall-of-fame induction
(via @OrlandoMagic)
pic.twitter.com/MjEcIFJNqo— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 24, 2025
Howard may not have officially announced his retirement yet, but with him being named as a finalist for induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, receiving this honor from the Magic franchise came at the perfect time.
And it looked like Howard’s presence was very much welcome on Monday night, as the Magic snapped a long home losing streak, taking a 118-106 win over the Lakers.
Dwight Howard is a certified Magic legend
No one can deny the impact Dwight Howard had during his eight-year stint with the Magic. They blossomed into a legitimate contending team in the late 2000s, with Howard being the league’s premier interior force. Orlando constructed a roster making the most of the threat he posed in the paint, surrounding him with playmakers and shooters which ended up being their recipe for success.
Again, Howard didn’t exactly cover himself in glory with the way he engineered his exit from the Magic in 2012. But time heals all wounds, and the Magic have certainly let bygones be bygones in honoring the 39-year-old big man with a well-deserved inclusion in the Orlando Hall of Fame.
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