Less than a week after making an eyebrow-raising declaration while discussing Nikola Jokić, Dwight Howard continued to defend his case for why he believes he deserves more praise than the Nuggets star as one of the NBA’s all-time great centers.
The prolific 18-year NBA veteran initially sparked an interesting debate on May 30 after saying he would pick a prime version of himself over two-time MVP Jokić “all day, every day.”
In an interview with Complex released on Thursday, Howard shared some insight on his blunt reply, and explained that his stance had to do with his take on his and Jokić’s style of play. To Howard, his ability to dominate the game in the paint stands as a more impressive feat than the way Jokić dominates opponents with his all-around skill set.
“Obviously, people going to say Jokić can score. He got all those offensive skills. But at the same time, I was getting 38 [points] and 20 [rebounds], 45-18, 19, 20, and I’m doing all this with twos,” Howard said. “No threes, all twos. I’m doing this with lobs. I’m not getting a lot of post-up attempts like Jokić.
“He’s getting way more opportunities, I would say as far as to show his low post game and all that stuff. And I was just in a different era.”
While some may interpret Howard’s remarks as disrespect to Jokić, the 37-year-old went on to say he is a big fan of the reigning NBA Finals MVP. However, the eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year also made it clear he doesn’t want anyone to forget just how impactful he was in his heyday.
“I love Jokić and I’m happy for him,” Howard said. “I think he’s one of the best centers that ever played the game of basketball, but I’m not going to throw dirt on my own name. I’m Dwight Howard. I know what I’ve done in this league.”
In a day and age where all-time debates are the norm, Howard and Jokić likely haven’t heard the last of the comparisons. Not to mention, the NBA champion big men have strong Hall of Fame-caliber résumes and could end up on a short list in the future of additions to the league’s top 75 (or 100) players in history.
