“The Only Person to Get That Off is Magic Johnson”: Former NBA Champion Claims Dwight Howard’s ‘Goofiness’ Hurt His Perception Badly

Be it Shaquille O’Neal‘s pranks on the sets of NBA on TNT or Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dad jokes, fans always love some amusement that brings more entertainment to the league. While many in the NBA knowingly or unknowingly have goofy personalities, Dwight Howard’s former Orlando Magic teammate Trevor Ariza believes that the 3x Defensive Player of the Year’s goofy personality led to his downfall.

In a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s show Club Shay Shay, Ariza explained how Howard’s silly personality badly hurt his reputation in the NBA. During his conversation with Sharpe, Ariza explained that the only person who could keep his big wide smile and maintain a killer attitude on the court was Magic Johnson.

Ariza further said that Howard’s playful demeanor made it difficult for people to fit him in the ‘killer’ category, often attached to the likes of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Therefore, the veteran center’s jolly personality later became a reason for his decline.

“Probably ’cause, I think he probably was a little bit too goofy. Like, he played too much in my opinion. So, like everybody else, don’t understand that type of personality when they thinking of greatness, I guess,” Ariza told Sharpe.

“Like, it’s different, he has like the smile and he likes to laugh and get along. But having a smile and being a killer, the only person to get that off is Magic [Johnson],” Howard’s former teammate explained.

Of course, Howard’s outgoing and fun personality has always helped him keep his teams’ locker rooms lively and filled with fun and banter. Though Ariza and Shannon Sharpe raised questions about the 2020 NBA Champion’s personality, both were on the same page about the 37-year-old being disrespected immensely by the league. The most recent chapter of this saga is the Golden State Warriors snubbing a return for Howard in the NBA on a vet minimum contract this off-season.

Dwight Howard claimed he could stop Nikola Jokic in his prime

At the peak of his NBA career, Dwight Howard was easily one of the best centers in the league. Howard finished second in the 2010-11 season’s MVP voting and had led the league in rebounds from 2008 to 2010 and once again from 2012 to 2013.

In an appearance on the Run It Back podcast, Howard claimed that he could lock down 2x league MVP and 2023 champion Nikola Jokic in his prime, ‘All day, every day.’  Adding on to this claim, Howard said,

“I’m happy for Nikola Jokic. But in 2020, I was stopping this man, and I wasn’t even in my prime. Imagine me in my prime. There would be no question.” 

Howard has often been compared to Shaquille O’Neal in his prime, especially during his initial seasons with the Orlando Magic. Though Shaq disapproved of Howard’s career during his early years, it seems like the Big Diesel agreed with the 8x All-Star with this statement. Shaq gave a nod to the star center’s Nikola Jokic claim and shared Howard’s quote on his Instagram story.