Podcast Summary: "How Will Dwight Howard Be Remembered?"

The Athletic NBA Daily / Basketball 100 – Episode 3
August 19, 2025

Hosts: Jake King, Eric Karine, Jason Jones (All from The Athletic)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily’s "Basketball 100" series centers around players ranked 40th to 59th on The Athletic’s list of the top 100 NBA players of all time, focusing especially on Dwight Howard (ranked 56th). Hosts Jake King, Eric Karine, and Jason Jones debate each player's legacy, the balance between longevity and peak performance, and whether certain stars—like Howard, Reggie Miller, and Joel Embiid—are appropriately ranked. The conversation also touches on the difficulty of evaluating stars from different eras.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Players Sparking Joy and Debate

[03:14-16:39]

• Gary Payton (Eric’s pick): Known for defensive greatness, trash talk, and the Seattle Sonics era.
  • “Cool ass nickname, The Glove. That's an old timer. One of the great trash talkers.” – Eric Karine (04:59)
• Allen Iverson (Jason’s pick): The ultimate underdog, embodiment of heart and style despite size.
  • “I always root for the underdog…Iverson, to be a dominant player at that size, it was just fun to watch.” – Jason Jones (06:04)
  • Iconic 2001 NBA Finals performance and revolutionary influence on basketball and culture.
• Russell Westbrook (Jake’s pick): His career invites debate about individual greatness vs. team impact.
  • “I just feel like his career will spark great debate…Should he be higher? Should it be lower? Were some of his stats a little empty?...I don't think it's easy to sort of quantify everything that is Russell Westbrook, probably similarly to Allen Iverson in that way.” – Jake King (13:14)

2. The “Coolest” Players (40-59 Range)

[10:24-13:14]

• This section of the list is praised for being home to “the coolest group of players” – Iverson, Drexler, Gervin (“Iceman”), Payton, Dominique Wilkins (“Human Highlight Reel”).
  • Memorable Story: George Gervin once ruined a Pacers fan promo for free chicken by scoring 55 points (“no chicken!”), showing off not just talent but personality. – Jake King (11:25)

3. Too High? Too Low? Ranking Debates

[17:53-32:27]

Players Hosts Felt Were Overrated:

• Reggie Miller:
  • “Are we sure Reggie Miller should be this high?... Only five All-Star berths…Never top 10 in MVP voting.” – Eric Karine (18:25)
• Joel Embiid:
  • “I can't live in a world where Joel Embiid's ahead of Allen Iverson…If we're going to take away from basketball…He's like that artist who had that one really great album, but then we never got to see what it would look like.” – Jason Jones (22:38)
  • Embiid’s persistent playoff injuries and lack of late postseason success make his ranking questionable.

Context and Complexity:

• Younger players’ (e.g., Embiid, Doncic) ranks reflect a mix of current accomplishment and projected future impact.
• Comparing durability: Elvin Hayes vs. Joel Embiid—Hayes averaged 87 games per season for his first nine, Embiid 56 (counting injuries). – Eric Karine (26:20)

Players Who Should Move Up:

[34:06-41:47]

• Allen Iverson: Iconic underdog, transcendent talent deserving higher placement.
• Bob McAdoo, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Gary Payton: Undervalued for peak impact or two-way consistency.
• Elvin Hayes: Longevity and historical stats justify fringe top-40.
  • “He brought the Washington Bullets to three finals in the 1970s, won it in 1978…Fourth all time in rebounds, 13th all time in points.” – Jake King (28:39)
• Discussions about padding or lowering Bob Cousy's rank: difficulty comparing eras, but consensus was to honor his historical dominance and innovation.

4. Dwight Howard’s Legacy: MVP-Caliber or Underrated?

[44:07-51:40]

• Prime Dwight Howard: Individual dominance (three Defensive Player of the Year awards, Finals trip with Magic, erased teammates' defensive errors).
  • “Legitimately one of the most impactful defenders of his era. Maybe even more than that.” – Eric Karine (44:07)
  • Lacked a post game; his offensive role was “a glorified rim runner.”
• Disrespected by NBA’s Top 75 List: Hosts agree Howard deserved to be included.
  • “Dwight Howard should have been on the top 75 list.” – Dave Cowens (via Jake, 46:49)
• Shortness of Peak: Dominance faded after back surgery; struggled when athleticism waned.
  • “He just never got back to being Orlando Dwight. And I think there was a struggle for Dwight to accept that…” – Jason Jones (48:26)
• Perception and Personality:
  • Prop-heavy dunk contests, “Superman” persona, and clashes with Shaq contributed to some underrating.
  • “Demerits for bringing props to the dunk contest. I hold him as one of the...guys responsible for the dunk contest becoming just a prop fest.” – Eric Karine (49:55)

5. Era Bias and What-Ifs

[40:57-54:32, 60:45-62:27]

• Difficulty Comparing Across Time:
  • “It’s so hard to do…but…the impact [Cousy] had when he played…” – Eric Karine (41:57)
  • “Even 20, 25 years ago, there’s no debate about where Bob Cousy fits. But then as you get further away…you look at the numbers…” – Jason Jones (42:14)
• Modern Fit:
  • “What if Ray Allen played in an era where he’d be told to shoot 12 threes a game?” – Jason Jones (60:45)
  • Greats from previous eras would have likely adapted and thrived in modern settings.

6. Luka Dončić’s Future (Upward Trajectory?)

[52:16-55:45]

• Consensus: Luka could reach top-15 or even top-10 all time if he adds championships and/or MVPs to already elite production.
  • “He already has five first team All-NBAs…If he continues to pile those up…you have to move him up.” – Jake King (54:32)
  • His career path depends on health, commitment, and team context, but the numbers put him in rare company.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Allen Iverson:
  “That game one in 2001…I mean, if you just went off the highlights, you’d forget that was the only game they won.” – Jason Jones (06:28)

• On George Gervin’s Pacers “No Chicken” Game:
  “He scored 25 points in the first half and started yelling at the crowd, no chicken. Just incredible. And then he ended up with 55 points…” – Jake King (11:25)

• On Dwight Howard:
  “He probably should have had that MVP in the first LeBron [Cavs] year that Derrick Rose won.” – Eric Karine (45:12)

• On Enduring Greatness:
  “My rule of thumb is generally the great players would have found a way…Their games probably get pushed in a way that allows them to assimilate better…” – Eric Karine (61:18)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:14 – Full list of players ranked 40–59; hosts pick most exciting names
• 06:04 – AI’s underdog legacy and 2001 Finals
• 13:14 – Russell Westbrook and “difficult-to-quantify” careers
• 17:53 – Who’s ranked too high (Reggie Miller, Joel Embiid)
• 28:10 – Comparing Joel Embiid’s durability to Elvin Hayes
• 34:06 – Who should move up (AI, McAdoo, Frazier, Payton)
• 40:57 – Era differences, Bob Cousy’s case
• 44:07 – Dwight Howard’s primes, flaws, and legacy
• 52:16 – Luka Dončić’s possible climb up the all-time list
• 56:29 – Brief nods to Paul Pierce, McHale, Ray Allen, Dominique Wilkins
• 60:45 – What-ifs for Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, James Worthy in today’s NBA

Tone & Closing Remarks

The episode mixes nostalgia, humor, and honest debate. The hosts challenge rankings and legacy perceptions, playfully jab at each other's biases (Boston vs. LA), and close with tributes to overlooked greats like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin McHale, and Dominique Wilkins.

Conclusion

This discussion offers valuable, candid perspective on what defines greatness in the NBA—balancing peak impact, career longevity, era context, and narrative. Dwight Howard’s legacy, in particular, is wrestled with: dominant but fleeting, underappreciated but polarizing, perhaps finally finding his just due in the Basketball 100 at number 56.

Recommended Episode Moments:

• [11:25] Gervin’s “No Chicken” story
• [28:10] Elvin Hayes vs. Joel Embiid discussion
• [44:07] Dwight Howard’s peak and decline
• [54:32] Luka Dončić’s statistical resume and potential trajectory