Former Lakers Champ Gives Shocking Statement In HOF Speech
After a successful career, Dwight Howard, former center for the Los Angeles Lakers, is one of the newest members inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 
Speaking at his induction ceremony alongside Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and other basketball legends, the former Lakers player offered up multiple memorable moments in his speech. Of those included praising his mother, crediting her for his receiving the sports’ top honor.
“My mother lost seven children, and He allowed me to bring sunshine into her life,” Howard said. “I’m just honored to stand in front of you as one of the greatest basketball players ever.”
Howard played for the Lakers in the 2012-13 season, their 2019-20 title-winning season, and again in the 2021-22 season, his last in the NBA. Along with his individual career, both Howard and Anthony were some of the players at the ceremony to celebrate the induction of the 2008 Team USA ‘Redeem Team’, which won gold at the Beijing Olympics.
Former Lakers Star Howard Praises SVG
Howard’s career had ups and downs, highlighted by his 2009 NBA Finals appearance with the Orlando Magic, and a low point of ending his career overseas after failing to sign an NBA deal. Though he did finish as a champion with the Lakers’ 2020 title, Howard chose to give credit to former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, including an impression of the now-broadcaster.
“Because of you, I am in the Hall of Fame. As I’ve said before, there is no Dwight Howard without Stan Van Gundy. You taught me what it means to stay ready. I still remember, in the playoffs, you had us doing plays for guys who never even got in the game,” Howard said.
Van Gundy coached Howard in Orlando for a big stretch in the first stage of his career, but after the 2009 Finals loss, their relationship began to sour. Though the two didn’t see eye-to-eye for a while, Howard made his feelings clear on his former coach in his induction speech.
“Stan is the best coach I’ve had in the NBA. I got to give him the credit. What he did for my game, what he did for me mentally, it really carried my whole life. I didn’t understand it until I got away from the game, the effect that Stan had on me because he got me so prepared for everything,” Howard added.
Howard is one of four players to win the Defensive Player of the Year award at least three times, all of which came from 2009 to 2011 under Van Gundy on the Magic.
Mending the Shaq Relationship
In what was the other most memorable ‘beef‘ of Howard’s career, Shaquille O’Neal spent more than a decade criticizing and critiquing the newer version of the NBA’s ‘Superman’. Speaking directly to O’Neal, who was one of four players to induct Howard, the newest member of the Hall of Fame addressed their rivalry.
“Shaq, we did not always seen eye-to-eye, but in hindsight I believe it was just sibling rivalries,” Howard said. “We are brothers in this fraternity of basketball, and sometimes brothers fight over the stupidest stuff.”
Howard was Orlando’s next big star after O’Neal led them to the 1994 Finals and left for the Lakers in 1996. After taking the ‘Superman‘ nickname from the four-time champion, Howard never reached the same level of success as his predecessor. Regardless, the two seemed to have mended their relationship now that both have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
“I really blame Soulja Boy,” Howard added. “I just want y’all to know that the true original Superman is in the building today, and it’s an honor to have you walk me out into this arena of greatness.”
O’Neal was alongside Dominique Wilkins, Patrick Ewing, and Robert Parish as the three players who directly inducted Howard into the Hall of Fame. He now joins a list of elite big men to receive the honor, continuing the trend of centers being the position with the most players in the Hall of Fame.
Dodgers Predicted to Sign Top MLB Free Agent After 2025 Season
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman
The Los Angeles Dodgers have notoriously been one of the top spenders in MLB for several years now. They showed that at the beginning of 2025, they signed many top free agents to improve their roster.
However, that has not led them to become the juggernaut team many analysts and executives thought they would be. Los Angeles is 79-64 and will likely not reach the 90-win mark with just 20 games left this regular season.
Whatever the Dodgers do in the postseason, one MLB Insider believes they will sign the top free agent after 2025.
Dodgers Predicted to Sign Kyle Tucker
The Chicago Cubs’ slugger is having a rough last two months of the season, but is still considered the top free agent.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes it will be to the Los Angeles Dodgers:
“Rival executives still believe he’ll be the highest-paid player in free agency,” Bob Nightengale reported Monday. “Their prediction where he’ll land? The Dodgers, who badly could use outfield help.”
The Dodgers could use outfield help, but signing Tucker to say, $400 million would put them far over the luxury tax. But it would address a much-needed positional issue. Los Angeles signed Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million deal before the season, and he has looked like a massive bust the entire season.
Conforto still isn’t above the .200 average mark, despite playing in 124 games. His OPS is 77, well below league average. The Dodgers also traded for left fielder Alex Call back in July, and he hasn’t had much production either. Signing Kyle Tucker in free agency is right up the Dodgers’ wheelhouse.
Although Tucker has struggled for the past few months, he’s still had a solid season. Kyle Tucker still has 22 home runs and an OPS+ of 140.
Kyle Tucker Has So Many Accolades As a Player
Bleacher Report recently came out with a prediction piece about Kyle Tucker’s free agency, and it showed how tenured he is as a player:
“After all, Tucker’s resume includes a World Series title, four All-Star selections, a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. He led the league in RBI in 2023 when he was with the Houston Astros and has hit more than 20 home runs in each of the last five seasons. While he hasn’t been himself since the All-Star break with a .242 batting average, five home runs and 17 RBI, some of that can be explained by injury concerns. And he still has solid overall numbers this season with a .270/.381/.472 slash line, 22 home runs and 73 RBI. Tucker is also just 28 years old, which is another reason he will surely command a significant deal this offseason.”
The next question is how much the Dodgers would pay him, and that will be up to Tucker’s agent.
Fans of other MLB teams would not be happy with the Dodgers making a big-money signing like this, but it would put a lot of pressure on the Cubs to attempt to dish out a higher AAV contract. Tucker’s free agency will be one of the highest-anticipated events this offseason.
