CEO Alex Martins announced that Dwight Howard will be inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame as the 13th member on March 24 at 3:45pm at Kia Center near the Orlando Magic Fan Experience.
Howard will be recognized during Orlando's game against the Los Angeles Lakers that evening. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at OrlandoMagic.com or by calling 407-89-MAGIC.
Howard played with the Magic for eight seasons from 2004 to 2012 after being chosen by Orlando with their first overall choice in the 2004 NBA Draft. He played with Orlando in 621 regular season games (620 of which he started), averaging 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.16 blocks, and 1.01 rebounds in 36.2 minutes per game while shooting .577 (4,034-6,988) from the field.
In 39.4 minutes per game, Howard averaged 19.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.77 blocks per game while shooting .600 (393-655) from the field. Howard also played and started in 57 postseason games with Orlando. He was a part of the Magic's 2009 NBA Finals run and 2010 Eastern Conference Finals run.
Howard of the Orlando Magic achieved many accolades, including five consecutive All-NBA First Team selections from 2007 to 2012 and being the first unanimous selection in team history in 2009-10. He made history in the NBA as the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year three times in a row (2008-2011) and received multiple All-Defensive Team honors.
Howard led all vote-getters in 2009 and 2012, made the NBA All-Star team six times in a row from 2007 to 2012, and received six NBA Player of the Month and 18 NBA Player of the Week awards. He was named to the 2004-05 NBA All-Rookie First Team and won the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award six times.
Howard is the all-time leader for the Orlando Magic in the following categories: minutes played (22,471), blocked shots (1,344), rebounds (8,072), free throws made (3,366), and free throws attempted (5,727). At the start of this season, he is also one of the franchise's all-time leaders in steals (fourth, 626), field goals attempted (fourth, 6,988), games played (third, 621), and field goals made (third, 4,034).
The Orlando Magic inducted its first class of Hall of Fame inductees on April 9, 2014, including Pat Williams and Nick Anderson. Nelson joins other notable figures like Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, and Anfernee Hardaway in the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.
Throughout the team's remarkable history, the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame acknowledges and celebrates the outstanding players, coaches, and executives who have made significant contributions. The exhibit, which is situated at Kia Center on the terrace level close to the Orlando Magic Fan Experience, connects Magic basketball's past and future while giving fans a chance to learn about Magic's past while they're inside.