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After 18 years in the NBA, Dwight Howard still feels a connection to his original teammates on the Orlando Magic. When reflecting on some of his favorite teammates, Howard singled out Jameer Nelson as his favorite point guard.
“My favorite all-time is Jameer Nelson,” Howard said to Thanasis Antetokounmpo on the ‘Thanalysis' podcast. “We started together. Little Mighty Mouse. He used to get the buckets and give me some crazy lobs. He was always real and honest with me.”
"I know I played with Steve Nash, some great point guards and stuff like that, but them Magic boys. We went through some stuff together."
Dwight Howard's favorite point guards he played with may shock you 😬
(via @ThanalysisShow)pic.twitter.com/iLVuWlZD6W
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 4, 2025
Howard spent most of his time in a Magic uniform but has played with several other star point guards throughout his career. The eight-time All-Star has also shared the court with Steve Nash, James Harden, Kemba Walker, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, and Dennis Schroder but still went back to Nelson as his favorite.
Nelson was not the only former Magic floor general Howard praised. ‘Superman' recalled Nelson's backups, Rafer Alson and Anthony Johnson, playing key roles in the Magic's 2009 NBA Finals run. Howard credited Alston and Johnson with “leading” the team through its franchise-best season.
“Skip to my Lou [Rafer Alston], Anthony Johnson, they led us to the Finals. Jameer got hurt that year and they both stepped up big. If it wasn't for them two, in a lot of those games, we wouldn't have made it to the Finals. Those are my GOATs for point guards.”
Nelson played just 42 games in 2008-2009, the year the Magic won the Eastern Conference. He suffered a torn labrum that threatened the end of his season but was able to return for the NBA Finals.
Following his injury, the Magic traded for Alston at the deadline, who started for the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Alson averaged 12 points and 5.1 assists per game through 28 games for Orlando in 2008-2009.
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Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson's time with the Magic
While Nelson was never the superstar that Nash or Harden are, Dwight Howard's praise for the current G-League executive is not surprising. Howard and Nelson entered the league together with Orlando in 2004 and played together until 2012 when the former was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Howard had the best years of his career with Orlando playing alongside Nelson. In each of his final five years with the team, he averaged at least 18 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks per game. He was named an All-Star in each of his last six years with the Magic and was unanimously viewed as the best center in the NBA.
Nelson also played the best years of his career with Howard on the Magic. Never a dominant scorer, Nelson was viewed as one of the best and most consistent floor generals in the league. He was recognized as an All-Star in 2009 — the year the Magic made the NBA Finals — while averaging a career-high 16.7 points per game.
After Howard left the team, Nelson remained in Orlando for two more years. The team failed to return to title contention without its star player, causing the Magic to release Nelson in 2014. He played four more years as a reserve point guard before retiring in 2018.
Two years after retiring, Nelson became the general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G-League. He has been working in that role ever since. Nelson's son, Jameer Nelson Jr., is also with the G-League as a member of the Austin Spurs.
