Dwight Howard has had a rapid fall from grace, but he was one of the NBA's most impressive stars not too long ago. An eight-time All-Star, Howard was the league's Defensive Player of the Year three times, and he seemed poised to dominate for years. Howard's had a magnificent career, but many have thrown shots at him because of his struggles—and the locker-room turmoil he has created—in recent years.
That criticism may be justified, but it's still hard to imagine Howard could possibly miss out on the Hall of Fame given all he has accomplished. Asked recently about that matter, Howard told TMZ he believes his career says plenty on its own. "I don't really concern myself with what a lot of people say about me," Howard said, addressing his haters and Hall of Fame candidacy. "My resume speaks for itself."
Howard seemed genuinely unbothered by the flack he's reserved. He has likely heard it all at this point and come to grips with it. "I know what I've done in this NBA, in my career," Howard added. "Think I've been pretty successful. A lot of times people always want to hate, say something bad about who you are as a player and a person. That's just really a testament to their character."
Howard also discussed his outlook on the upcoming season for the Washington Wizards, with whom he recently signed. "I think we have a real chance to win," he said. "I'm always really confident on every time I'm on. We have an opportunity to be very successful, I love our team, love our coach, love the system."
Howard, 32, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2004. He recently said he wants to finish his career with Washington, but he still believes he has plenty left in the tank.
