“Wilt Chamberlain is my favorite player!”: Dwight Howard tried to win over Sixers Fans with a tribute to the 2x NBA Champion

Dwight Howard signed up with the Philadelphia 76ers and admitted that he had always been drawn to the team and had grown up idolizing Wilt Chamberlain.

It appears that Dwight Howard aimed to imitate Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest players in NBA history, who oddly played for both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, winning titles with each team.

Howard won his first NBA title with the Lakers in the Orlando bubble. He joined Philadelphia in 2020 to assist the Sixers in their quest for greatness and genuine competition in the Eastern Conference.

They had a terrible season in 2019, but Philly prepared to make a strong run at the NBA title after making significant adjustments. One of the players who arrived there to aid the club was Howard, who made an effort to win over Sixers supporters.

Dwight Howard wants to make the same transition Wilt Chamberlain made for the Lakers late in his career. https://t.co/d9A9BBQyGk pic.twitter.com/MILYFYbXag

— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) October 3, 2019

As soon as he arrived in Philadelphia, he only had positive things to say about Joel Embiid and predicted that the player would have a successful season and career.

Dwight said, upon reflecting on his journey thus far, “This year has been a roller coaster – for everyone, not just me. Coming out of the bubble with a title and getting to spend time with my family and kids again meant the world to me. It’s a privilege to really be playing in Philadelphia.”

Howard was even more proud to play for the 76ers since his childhood idol was a former Sixers player.

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Dwight Howard reveals that Wilt Chamberlain was his favorite player growing up

A significant turning point in Dwight’s career occurred when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers. While Howard was growing up, the 76ers were one of the NBA’s top teams. Howard was inspired to enter the NBA by a Philly star he looked up to.

In addition, Howard showed tribute to Wilt Chamberlain, one of Philadelphia’s most revered figures. One year before joining the Lakers, the contentious player earned his first title with the Sixers in 1967. In an effort to emulate Chamberlain, Howard has even stated that Wilt is his all-time favorite player.

Dwight Howard on being a Sixer: “Wilt Chamberlain is my favorite player ever in life, the only player that I ever wanted to meet my whole life, and he played for the 76ers. So it’s a great honor for me play for a team that my favorite player played for …

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 25, 2020

Howard claims that Wilt Chamberlain, a former Lakers star, serves as his inspiration.

That player is my fave. My favorite player is Wilt. I’ve viewed a tonne of films about him, and my room is decorated with artwork by Wilt Chamberlain. I was prepared to get “Wilt Chamberlain” permanently inked on my arm. He is both one of my favorite people and my favorite athlete. He made a sacrifice in his actions.”

“We frequently find it difficult to make sacrifices because we want to be that person even though winning another prize is the only thing that matters. Wilt had one of his best seasons in his career after deciding, ‘Hey, I’ve done all the scoring, I’ve done all the other stuff, let me just do what this team is asking me to do.’ He obtained a victory. I want to adopt the same strategy, unleash my inner drive, and contribute to this team’s triumph,” Howard added.

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While Howard wasn’t able to bring Philly the same success Wilt did, he sure has time left in the league to err that error.