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Lakers’ Dwight Howard Explains How He Predicted His Exclusion From the NBA’s Top 75 List

Published 11/09/2021, 9:24 PM EST

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The NBA 75 list brought in quite some drama when some big names weren’t on. For the Los Angeles Lakers, the trio of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis, all made it. However, there was one star, Dwight Howard, who didn’t get in and fans felt that was an injustice.

Howard is currently a role player on the Lakers as he doesn’t play a lot and serves as a backup center. His minutes go down because the purple and gold play without a true center for the most part. However, even today he is a capable defender with exceptional rebounding skills. But in his prime, he was one of the best and hence deserved a place in the NBA’s Top 75.

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Lakers center Dwight Howard blames politics

While in an interview, the question regarding the NBA 75 list popped up. Surprisingly, Howard was quick to jump on the question and agreed that he knew they (the league) would keep him off the list. When asked why he felt so, Howard straightforwardly hinted towards favoritism.

The Superman said, “I knew I wasn’t going to be on it.” He further added, “Politics, I already knew. I knew soon as they made the 75 list I said yeah, they ain’t going to put me on the 75 list.”

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However, despite him knowing he won’t be on, Dwight felt he should definitely be a part of that list. The 35-YO added, “I most definitely should be on that list. But its okay. It is so okay. I am not upset about it, I was for probably like thirty seconds. I said you know what, life is great, I’m alive, I’m still playing basketball in my 18th season. Who cares about a list made by people who ain’t ever bounced a basketball before.”

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Should Dwight Howard be on the NBA 75 list?

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USA Today via Reuters

Looking at Dwight now, he is a much lesser player than he was in his prime. But many underestimate what he really contributed back in his prime. Howard was one of the best players in the NBA and a top candidate to win league MVP. He is even a three time DPOY, which is the second most in NBA history.

The 6’10” center, upon his arrival, became the most recognizable big man in the league, putting up double doubles for fun. His journey was compared to Shaq as he started off with Orlando Magic and then moved to the Lakers. Moreover, he is the youngest player to be the rebounding and block leader in the history of the game. Additionally, he has made 8 All-Star appearances and is a 4 time All-Defensive first team member.

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With so much under his belt, do you think Lakers’ Dwight Howard was snubbed from the list? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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