'It's kinda like watching Shaq, ya know?' - Dwight's former Magic teammate on how good his younger version was

When thinking about Dwight Howard's career and legacy, you instantly think of him in an Orlando Magic uniform. That is not a coincidence, as "D12" started his NBA journey in Florida and had the best years of his career.

Coming out of high school in 2004, "Superman" immediately impacted the Magic and amazed his teammates. Although Orlando was mediocre, the squad knew they had something special in Howard, as one of the biggest compliments came from Travis Diener.

"It's kinda like watching Shaq, ya know?" Diener praised the youngster in a 2007 edition of SLAM Magazine.

Dwight was the man in Orlando

In his third season, at only 21 years old, Howard was starting to show he would become the biggest paint force in the NBA. Posting 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and numerous highlights on a nightly basis made "D12" extremely popular among the fans and his own teammates.

"He makes work a lot easier. Incredible talent," Carlos Arroyo said.

"He's one of the elite big men. When you run down the list: Shaq, Duncan, maybe Yao...you gotta throw Dwight in there with those guys," fellow big man Tony Battie explained.

"He's one of the best young players in the league. Every night and every practice, he does something spectacular," said Keyon Dooling.

Howard's rise as a young and raw prospect was no fluke, as he continued to dominate the NBA for years and establish himself as the best center in the NBA. Dwight would spend eight years in Orlando, snagging numerous individual accolades from All-Star games, DPOY awards, top-five MVP finishes, and even one Finals appearance in 2009.

However, all the potential and expectations came to a crashing end once "Superman" got traded from Orlando in 2012 to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Bad situations and injuries would cause Howard to slowly transform from an all-time great to a journeyman center who has been out of the NBA since 2022 despite begging for another shot.

Dwight was bigger than Shaq in Orlando?

The original comparison with Shaquille O'Neal from Diener was a pretty good one, as the two have been likened for years. From their ongoing beef to both of them starting their careers as high-flying stars on the Magic, Shaq and "D12" often get mentioned in the same sentence.

While Shaquille is undisputedly better all-time, Gilbert Arenas claims that Dwight takes the cake when comparing who has the better resume as a Magic player.

"In Magic history? He was only there four years. Like we're not talking about Shaq's body of work. We're just saying Orlando. That's four years. I mean, he was breaking backboards and stuff, but you know, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, rebounding champ, all-star, six all-NBAs. Like his resume is just bigger than Shaq's in that jersey. The better player? Of course, talent-wise Shaq, but in that jersey, it's Dwight," Gil said.

Arenas' take makes sense, but don't tell O'Neal that. He is probably Howard's biggest critic, as Dwight getting the Shaq comparison or nods from "Agent Zero" about being the greatest Orlando player ever would not sit well with "The Diesel."