Dwight Howard reportedly elected to Hall of Fame on first ballot

We know Carmelo Anthony is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. As he should be.

Dwight Howard is going to join him. While the official announcement will not come until this weekend, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that we all expected. Howard essentially confirmed the news on X.

While younger NBA fans may only remember Howard from his time with the Lakers and after, that version was a shell of one of the best big men in the NBA for a decade. Howard was arguably the best defender of his generation, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, an eight-time All-NBA player, and an eight-time All-Star who won an NBA ring in the bubble with the Lakers.

Howard and Anthony were locks to make the Hall of Fame. Sue Bird is also eligible and should be an unquestioned lock. Others eligible to make the Hall of Fame this weekend include Maya Moore, the 2008 USA Basketball men’s Olympic team (which included Anthony and Howard), Marques Johnson, coaches Billy Donovan and Mark Few, and Heat owner Micky Arison.