Dwight Howard to Be Inducted into Magic Hall of Fame; 3-Time DPOY with NBA Franchise

The Orlando Magic announced Thursday that former center Dwight Howard will be inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame on March 24.

"Dwight Howard left an undeniable imprint on the history of the Orlando Magic," team CEO Alex Martins said in a statement. "From being the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, to our trip to the 2009 NBA Finals, Dwight's work helped us achieve great success during his eight seasons in a Magic uniform, both on the court and in the community. We are looking forward to inducting Dwight into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame."

Howard certainly seemed thrilled to learn the news:

He will be the 13th member of the Magic's Hall of Fame, joining co-founder Pat Williams and first-ever draft pick, Nick Anderson (both inducted in 2014); Shaquille O'Neal (2015); Rich DeVos (2016); Anfernee Hardaway and Jimmy Hewitt (2017); Tracy McGrady (2018); David Steele (2019); Darrell Armstrong (2020), John Gabriel and Brian Hill (2022); and Dennis Scott (2023). He

The 39-year-old, who is also a 2025 finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, hasn't technically retired from the NBA but last played in the league for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-22 season.

His time in Orlando was particularly memorable, as he remains the franchise's all-time leader in points (11,435), rebounds (8,072), blocks (1,344) and minutes played (22,471), among other team records. He was an All-NBA first-team selection in five consecutive seasons with the Magic, the Defensive Player of the Year three times and an All-Star six times, leading the team to the postseason five times and the NBA Finals in the 2008-09 season.

While Howard's career took on a downward trajectory following his Orlando years, there's little question that he's one of the most impactful players in Magic history.