Carmelo Anthony advised him two decades ago. Today, Dwight Howard’s eight All-Star nods, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and an NBA title with the Lakers validate that bold counsel . As both Anthony and Howard prepare for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, that off-hand piece of advice still echoes—two careers forever altered by a single, fearless prediction.

As a senior at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Howard poured in 25 PPG en route to a state title. He was unstoppable, collecting elite honors along the way. Howard was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and also shared the McDonald’s National High School Player of the Year honor with J.R. Smith. One former NBA player who was present at the tournament and witnessed their action and rise was Carmelo Anthony. He had some advice for them as well.

On a recent episode of 7PM in Brooklyn, with J.R. Smith as the guest, Melo recalled how impressive both Smith and Howard were during that time. Melo and Smith were later teammates on the Denver Nuggets and still share a close bond. Reflecting on the past, Melo revealed that he advised both Smith and Howard to skip college and aim straight for the Pro league, and they listened.

“I get the Swiss, I said. “Okay, don’t even play…So at that point I just told him “Yo champ, like you go, like don’t even play around with college because you ain’t a college type…I told Dwight that, too. I told Dwight, hey you boy, you better get your a– up boy. You bring your Bible with you, feel that no at the time,” Melo recalled. 

Smith had committed to North Carolina but ultimately decided to forgo college and declare for the NBA Draft. Howard also chose to go pro. Years later, Howard’s high school coach confirmed that the 8x NBA All-Star had always envisioned himself jumping straight to the league.

“I started coaching Dwight when he was in the eighth grade, and that was one of the things that we talked about: having a vision for your life and what you want to do and accomplish…And he wanted to get drafted out of high school,” he said.

Fast forward to today, and both Howard and Melo are receiving Hall of Fame honors. The two had chances to unite in a team, but it didn’t happen until the last years of their career.

Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony became teammates in 2021-22

One of the first chances for Howard and Anthony to reunite was back in 2017. In July 2017, the Rockets pursued Carmelo in free agency – Howard personally lobbied Pelinka to bring Melo on board. And as Melo recalled, Howard had a crucial role in convincing him.

In a conversation with the New York Post, the 10x NBA All-Star reflected on how he had great conversations with Howard and the rest. “He tried extremely hard. It didn’t have anything to do with Dwight or James [Harden]. It came down to my own personal decision,” Melo said.

The Rockets had plans to make a Big Three. He even highlighted how the city was offering great opportunities, “weather, the tax situation,” and more. He opted, instead, for a five‑year, $120.9 million deal with the New York Knicks in July 2014. Much later, in 2021, the two reunited when playing for the Lakers.

Howard had played for the Lakers before. However, there had been chatter about his departure in 2013, with many assuming it was due to his feuding with Kobe Bryant. Earlier, during Howard’s appearance on the same podcast, Melo revealed some details shedding new light on the situation.

Melo later said Bryant ‘toughened him up’ with early-career battles. Perhaps this was Bryant’s way to check Howard or respect him. After the end of their glorious years in the league, both are thrilled as they get inducted into the 2025 Hall of Fame class.