Imagine a world where Dwight Howard wasn’t confined to the traditional big-man role. During his appearance on Ray Daniels Presents, the 3x Defensive Player of the Year gave us a glimpse of what could have been. Howard, who cemented his legacy as the NBA’s all-time dunk leader and an exceptional force in rebounds and blocks, believes his career could have taken a Giannis Antetokounmpo-like trajectory. Only if it had not been for the limitations of his era that the coaches stuck to.

“Y’all want me to dunk? I’m gonna get the most dunks ever. Y’all want me to get rebounds? I’m gonna be the best… So it’s like, I’m doing what you guys are asking me to do. So can I do more? Can I get outside of this box? And so, that was just the era that I played in,” Howard explained, raising rhetorical questions to drive his point home.

And also, hinting at an unfulfilled potential. Reflecting on his time, he added, “We wasn’t allowed to get outside that box [of limitations that came with a player’s role].“

When host Ray Daniels suggested he could’ve been the first Nikola Jokic, Howard thought differently. “No actually. It’s crazy [because] I started out playing the same way Giannis plays now.”

The former Los Angeles Lakers star argued that he was doing all the things—bringing the ball up the court, finishing on people, getting a rebound done—during his time in high school. “But in the league, I can only do one thing,” he explained.

So, could Howard have been the hybrid player Giannis is today? Let’s take a closer look.

The ‘Greek Freak’s transformation from a raw rookie averaging just 6.8 points to a superstar putting up 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game is a testament to his versatility. His ability to dominate in every aspect of the game makes him one of the poster child of positionless basketball. The modern approach encourages players to break out of traditional roles.

But the NBA in Howard’s prime was a different beast. Back then, players were often pigeonholed into specialized roles—big men defended, rebounded, and dunked. That era rarely allowed a player like Howard to explore other facets of their game. But we cannot say that had the scenario been the same, D12 would’ve for sure blossomed into the player that Giannis is today.

There’s no doubt that the former Lakers star was an elite defender and rebounder. But when it comes to scoring, there has been a center who played in the same era as and before Howard – Shaquille O’Neal.

Statistically speaking, ‘Big Diesel’s contribution to the rebounding and defensive department was just as exceptional as Howard’s. But the 4x NBA champ scored 25+ points in the league for 10 consecutive seasons—a mark that D12 didn’t cross even once despite playing on similar teams that Shaq played.

So saying that it was just the circumstances that prevented D12 from being a Giannis-like player seems unfair to the ‘Greek Freak’.

Mark Cuban’s regret over losing Giannis for Dwight Howard

Having missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo for Dwight Howard, Mark Cuban lived with that regret since the 2013 offseason. Speaking on the Roommates Show, the former Mavericks owner called his pursuit of D12 the most frustrating free agency experience of his career.

“We wanted to get a big to be next to Dirk [Nowitzki], and we had cap room finally because we never had cap room since the time I’d been there,” Cuban said. But clearing that cap space came at a cost. The Mavericks traded down in the draft to free up money. Thus losing their chance to draft Giannis, who was taken 15th overall by the Bucks.

What stings more? According to Cuban, some people in the Mavs front office had seen Antetokounmpo’s potential. But Cuban’s focus was on making the most of Dirk’s final years, as the superstar was entering his age-35 season.

To make room for Howard, Dallas traded their No. 13 pick to Boston, slid down to No. 16, and then again to No. 18. But Howard never joined the team. Instead, the Mavericks ended up with Samuel Dalembert and Shane Larkin, Both of whom lasted just one season in Dallas.

Meanwhile, Giannis turned into a two-time MVP and an NBA champion. But a lot more than these accolades if you look at his recent numbers.