Dwight Howard credits Stan Van Gundy in Hall of Fame speech

Dwight Howard entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night and made sure to thank the coach who helped guide him to his peak years with the Orlando Magic.

“Because of you, I am in the Hall of Fame,” Howard said of former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, via NBA.com. “As I’ve said before, there is no Dwight Howard without Stan Van Gundy. You taught me what it means to stay ready.”

Van Gundy coached Howard in Orlando for five seasons, a run that included two Eastern Conference Finals appearances and a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, remains the Magic’s all-time leader in points (11,435), rebounds (8,072), blocked shots (1,344), free throws made (3,366) and minutes played (22,471). He also ranks near the top in nearly every other statistical category, including games played (621), steals (626) and field goals made (4,034).

He reminded fans of the team that carried Orlando to the Finals.

“A big thanks to my teammates on the Magic, (especially those) who reached The Finals in 2009,” Howard said, before naming players from that roster. “That was a magical run.”

Howard was voted an All-Star six straight times from 2007 to 2012, leading all vote-getters in both 2009 and 2012. He was NBA Player of the Month six times and Player of the Week 18 times, both franchise records.

For Howard, the Hall of Fame was the ultimate validation of a career built on dominance in the paint — and the coaching that helped unlock it.

Career Snapshot

• NBA titles: 1 (Lakers, 2020)
• All-Star selections: 8
• Defensive Player of the Year: 3 (2009–2011)
• All-NBA teams: 8
• Career averages: 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks in 1,242 games