Dwight Howard is going into the Class of 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame, and the accomplishment is well-deserved for someone who was one of the most dominant big men in his era. It's amazing to see how easy Howard made things look when he got into the paint, but just like any player, there was always that one person who gave them fits when they stepped on the floor.

Howard was recently a guest on the Dan Patrick Show, and he shared who his most physical matchup in the league was.

“Most physical player, (Nikola) Pekovic from Minnesota,” Howard said. “He probably was the strongest player I could say I’ve played against.”

That may have been a surprise to many, but Pekovic was a solid player in his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Pekovic was the first pick in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft while averaging 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game with the Timberwolves.

Though Howard named Pekovic as the most physical player he matched up with, he beat him all eight times that they went against each other.

Dwight Howard inducted into 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (39) before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Article Continues Below
Related News
Naz Reid playing for Timberwolves with T-Wolves logo in background.
Ranking 3 best Naz Reid free-agency destinations if he leaves TimberwolvesBailey Bassett ·
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the hoop past New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the second quarter of game three of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
NBA news: Knicks-Pacers Game 3 pulls ratings not seen since LeBron’s Cavs daysJulian Ojeda ·
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) defends a drive by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half at Paycom Center.
10 NBA teams who could achieve the next three-peatSpencer See ·
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates after winning the Western Confrerence Championship against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
10 most unexpected teams to make the NBA FinalsSpencer See ·
Shaquille O'Neal looks on during halftime between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks during game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Inside the NBA warmup has fans going wildMiguel La Torre ·
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) practices before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Charles Barkley sends savage Anthony Edwards message amid ‘face of the NBA’ buzzBenedetto Vitale ·

There's no surprise that Howard is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and his resume speaks for itself. Howard was an eight-time All-Star, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and earned eight All-NBA selections during his career, in which he played for 18 seasons.

Howard led the NBA in rebounding five times and blocks twice while ranking 10th all-time in NBA history in rebounds and 13th in blocks. During his time with the Orlando Magic, he led them to an NBA Finals appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers where they lost, but in 2020 won a championship with the Lakers defeating the Miami Heat.

When Howard found out that he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and made a social media post saying that he wanted Shaq to be one of the players that walked him out during the ceremony. With the history of the two having displeasure with each other, it was uncertain how it would be perceived, but Shaq recently agreed to do it on his podcast.

“That's awesome, I'll do it,” Shaq said. “I'll be there. That's my guy.”

It looks like when the ceremony comes around, Howard will be sent off the right way, and it only makes sense after all the things that he was able to accomplish in the league.