Very few would understand how Dwight Howard feels proving his hero wrong. By most accounts, he defied all the odds to make it to the NBA. And that’s in spite of passive discouragement from Magic Johnson. It sounds hard to believe that the league’s representative hypeman who’s always cheering athletes on X told Howard he’d never make it in the NBA. In their first meeting, the 5x champ went from Magic to ‘tragic’ for D-Howard. He never really said if Magic reacted to his prediction going wrong but Howard feels pretty chuffed about it.

He delved into the unusual motivation he got during an appearance on The Mulligan Brothers Interviews. He told the hosts that as a child growing up in Atlanta, his family didn’t have cable TV and he couldn’t watch basketball games. His only way to develop his basketball IQ was the Magic Johnson workout tape on VHS (and maybe his basketball player mom and athletic director dad). While practicing what he learned on that tape, Howard came to idolize Magic.

At Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, he was on the track team too. And one of the ladies on the staff worked with Magic and knew the 10th-grader Dwight was a fan. “She said ‘hey, Magic Johnson’s going to be in town, I know you would love to meet him.’ And I’m like excited… I get there and I see Magic. I’m like, ‘hey, Magic, man I’m going to make it to the NBA.” What was Magic’s response? “You ain’t gonna make it to no NBA boy, what you talking about!”

Now Howard was in one of the best high school basketball programs in the country helmed by his dad. He was versatile enough to play point guard and power forward in school. He dreamed of becoming a phenomenal point guard like the guy whose workout tape he followed like the gospel. So Magic’s words cut deep and Dwight felt, “Dang, that’s pretty mean.” But he was also “fired up.” 

As history goes, Howard would lead his school to a 31-2 record and the state title in his senior year. He was the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and shared MVP status with JR Smith in the McDonald’s All-American game. By then he dropped Magic Johnson as his idol and made a life-changing decision.

Dwight Howard got a new hero

Howard was determined to prove Magic wrong and even switched to idolizing Kevin Garnett. Inspired by The Big Ticket, he chose to forego college and enter the 2004 NBA draft. Two years after his first encounter with Magic, DH was picked first overall by Orlando Magic. Funnily, he’d be the second coming of Superman in Orlando much like Magic’s protege, Shaquille O’Neal a decade ago.

This is despite how much his feelings were hurt and the bitterness lingers. Johnson was only one of many people who told Howard he’d not make it. Yet he fulfilled two decades in his dream job against all the naysayers.

But to get that from Magic, he learned that even if someone famous says he can’t do it, he doesn’t have to listen to it. For his remarkable entrance and NBA legacy, Howard can now say, “Thank you, Magic.”

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.