NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar disliked how Dwight Howard played basketball in his prime with the Orlando Magic

Abdul-Jabbar found it easy to plan against Howard

In the 2009 NBA Finals, Abdul-Jabbar served as a special assistant coach on the Los Angeles Lakers, focused on helping the big men. Considering the Lakers were playing against the Orlando Magic, the game plan was to stop Howard’s athleticism, which often produced highlights.

Abdul-Jabbar did not have the toughest time preparing Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum for the matchup. He did not like how Howard approached the game, which led to him criticizing him years later on ESPN’s First Take.

“When the Lakers signed Dwight, they had high hopes of what he could contribute to the team. Dwight is an extraordinary athlete with incredible athletic ability. But, basketball is a game where the most important muscle you use on the court is the one between your ears,” Abdul-Jabbar said on ESPN.

“Dwight’s basketball IQ is not up to speed for him to be a dominant player. He has problems on both ends of the court. He does not have a go-to move.”

“I had to prepare Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to play against Dwight in the Playoffs in 2009 for the World Championship, and it was an easy job because if you take certain things away from him, he doesn’t have an answer for it.”

It might seem harsh, but Abdul-Jabbar is one of basketball’s greatest-ever players. He saw potential in Howard, but Cap made sure to speak about Howard’s game to help him improve.

Howard was mature in his response to Abdul-Jabbar

Howard admitted that he made mistakes in the past. He agreed with Abdul-Jabbar about those mistakes, but he denied having a low basketball IQ. This was a tough moment for Howard, considering that he sees Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest player in NBA history.

Howard was baffled by that assertion because he had never encountered a coach telling him he was a dumb player.

His response came after he made the move to Houston after the disastrous year in Los Angeles. With the Houston Rockets, Howard became a star center again, forming a strong partnership with James Harden.

While he never won a championship until he became a role player on the Lakers in 2020, Howard still had a Hall of Fame-worthy career; however, he peculiarly missed out on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Howard is cemented as one of the greatest centers in modern history, even though Abdul-Jabbar did not regard him as a smart player.