Dwight Howard has been through quite a lot in what has been a decorated 18-year career. He is now in the tail end of his tenure in the NBA, and at this point, the 36-year-old can't help but talk about life after retirement.

One of the subjects of conversation with regard to Howard's career is whether or not he deserves to be honored as part of the esteemed Hall of Fame. The 6-foot-10 big man is well aware of all the talk, but for his part, Howard admits that this is something that's completely out of his hands (via Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson):

“It’s not up to me,” Howard said. “But I think one day I’ll get the recognition that I deserve. Until then I’m going to continue to get better, continue to smile and continue to enjoy life.”

Without directly saying it, Howard implied that he feels he deserves to be in the Hall someday. It's hard to argue with three-time Defensive Player of the Year here, considering how much of a dominant force he was during his prime. Howard was named an All-Star for eight consecutive years between 2007 and 2014. During this time, he put up averages of 19.5 points (on 59.0 percent shooting), 13.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.3 blocks per contest.

Dwight was named to the All-NBA team eight times. He also led the league in rebounds for five seasons, and in blocks twice. The five-time All-Defense big man added the biggest feat to his stellar resume when he won the NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IGnBKIS4qqxcc2NApVLgG?si=003a67f829a744ea

Speaking of the Lakers, Dwight Howard has yet to secure a new deal with the Purple & Gold. He is currently a free agent and has already been linked to teams such as the Brooklyn Nets if he ends up leaving Hollywood.