NBA players often face heavy criticism from those in the sports media world. Some take more heat than others, regardless of how dominant they were in their prime. Dwight Howard, for example, became a frequent punching bag for the media. Now, three years after stepping away from the NBA, he’s finally called out two names.
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In a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, radio host Charlamagne tha God asked Howard who he would mention in his Hall of Fame speech if he had to choose a media figure. Only one name came to mind for the 18-year NBA veteran at first.
He chose Stephen A. Smith, arguably one of the most polarizing journalists in sports media. A figure who has clashed with countless stars over the years. Howard believes Smith wouldn’t be biased against him today, although he was in the past.
“Probably somebody in the sports business like Stephen A. Smith, to do it,” Howard said. “I don’t think he’s giving a biased opinion now. He probably would back when I played.” The bias that Howard speaks of comes from Smith’s belief that Howard’s career didn’t live up to expectations.
However, Howard had a more successful NBA career than most players in league history. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, earned eight All-Star selections, and captured a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Still, leading up to that title run, he endured harsh criticism for not living up to the promise many believed he once held.
The 6-foot-10 big man led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals, but they came up short, losing in five games. Three years later, he was traded to the Lakers, where he formed a star-studded Big Three with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. But the championship dreams quickly faded. The experiment was a disaster, and Howard became a media punching bag. Two of the biggest contributors to the criticism were Smith and Skip Bayless.
Howard took the opportunity to call them out for their bias, especially given how they expected him to live up to the standard set by a legendary Lakers duo. “Man, me and [Kobe Bryant] were teammates for one season,” Howard said. “How are you going to compare me to a Kobe and Shaq? We didn’t have time.”
During Howard’s first stint with the Lakers, the hype around his pairing with Bryant centered on them becoming Shaq and Kobe 2.0. However, the two never had time to gel, and the result was underwhelming. The comparison was unfair, considering Bryant and O’Neal had multiple seasons to build chemistry. In fact, they went through three years of setbacks before winning their first title together. Forming a championship-winning partnership takes time, especially between star players. Even LeBron James and Dwyane Wade didn’t win in their first season together.
On top of that, Howard played through injuries during his initial run in Los Angeles. He believes the media turned him into a scapegoat. While he initially harbored resentment toward his time with the Lakers, the franchise still holds a special place in his heart after he helped them win the chip in 2020.
