Lakers' Dwight Howard on Lack of Respect: 'It's Like I'm an Afterthought'

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard questioned why he doesn't receive more respect after building an impressive resume that includes eight All-Star appearances, three Defensive Player of the Year Awards and an NBA championship.

Howard explained to Tyler R. Tynes of GQ in an interview released Wednesday he was disappointed after he wasn't named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team ahead of the 2021-22 season:

"I think that what I have done in my career, there's no way it cannot be recognized. It was upsetting, at first. But, I didn't take it too seriously. I felt before that I wasn't gonna be on it because it felt like [the NBA] was trying to phase me out. People think I'm trying to blame the NBA for certain things, but I look at how certain things have happened in my career and I know some of these things are not on me. I've watched how I rarely get talked about when they mention [the Lakers]. It's like I'm an afterthought. Like damn."

"I've been in the league a long time. I've made an impact on every team I've been on, on and off the court, and it never gets recognized. So, I thought it was kind of crazy, but I figured I'd get the short end of the stick. I told my friends and the people I'm close to that I'm gonna start working harder and find other ways to generate positive messages to people. Making a list like that is only to get everybody riled up. To try to compare people's careers, that doesn't matter. To compare somebody to somebody else? No. We're all unique individuals. This is a waste of energy."

The 35-year-old Atlanta native isn't wrong to suggest his career doesn't receive as much attention as it probably should, especially given his combination of longevity (he's playing his 18th season) and a high-end peak where he was one of the league's most dominant players.

Why he isn't celebrated likely has more to do with the way the sport has evolved throughout his career, though.

Howard arrived to the league when old-school centers who could dominate the game at both ends of the floor were still commonplace. The use of those type of players has faded over time in favor of floor-spacing, three-shooting bigs.

There are still some traditional post players making an impact, led by the Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert, but they are far less numerous than when Howard begin his career.

In turn, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist has transformed into more of a role player than a franchise building block during the second half of his career.

Howard told Tynes he believes Lakers guard Rajon Rondo is another player who doesn't get enough credit for his success:

"I look at when ESPN highlights the Lakers: Obviously, they're gonna show LeBron and Anthony Davis, or Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook. And me and Rajon Rondo are left out, like we haven't done great things in our career. Like we haven't been amazing. We're always left out of certain things. I try not to look too deep into it, but that s--t be the case. We've done exceptional things in this league and still are. So, while we're playing we should get some praise for the hard work that we put in. I don't want nobody to kiss my butt or nothin' like that. But appreciation should go a long way, especially when people are alive"

"We put so much emphasis on a ring. [People say] 'he don't have a ring, so you can't be considered that great.' But the championship is won when you make it to the NBA. It's the hardest shit in the world to make it."

The good news for Howard is that he's a virtual lock to eventually earn a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which will be the ultimate chance to celebrate his accomplishments.

In the meantime, he'll attempt to chase down another ring as a depth player with the Lakers. He's averaging 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 67.4 percent from the field through 18 appearances this season.

L.A. returns to action Friday night when it hosts the Sacramento Kings.