Still, he is here. He\u2019s a Hall of Famer. Perhaps Howard did not develop into a top five all-time center as was projected but he was the best defensive player of his generation and that has to be acknowledged.<\/p>\n
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\u201cPeople are always going to have something to say about my career and what they thought I should have done,\u201d he said. \u201cMy peers have given me the props and the confidence of knowing I belong right where I\u2019m at. Obviously, the people at the Hall of Fame felt the same way. For me to be inducted at such a young age, for me to play in the NBA for so long and to be consistent with my effort since Day One, I feel like that what has gotten me here and whoever doesn\u2019t like it, so what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Howard was joined at Symphony Hall on a rainy Saturday evening by Carmelo Anthony, a contemporary who was one of the generation\u2019s most prolific scorers but never played in an NBA Finals. While his famous teammates on the 2003 draft class such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh each won multiple championships, Anthony never had the team to vie for the ultimate crown. His Hall of Fame resume is built not by victories but by numbers, which is a more flawed legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing I have been told is not to overthink it,\u201d Anthony said of his induction. \u201cFor me, I\u2019m a fan of the game and even though I\u2019m getting a [Hall] jacket, I want to look in the stands and see those other Hall of Famers there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Howard was able to win a championship as a reserve with the 2020 NBA Bubble Lakers. Anthony\u2019s deepest playoff run came in 2009 with the Denver Nuggets, when he led the overlooked franchise into the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers.<\/p>\n
What catapulted Anthony here in his first year of eligibility is his Olympic performance, helping Team USA to three gold medals as \u201cOlympic Melo,\u201d a flawless scorer who dropped buckets against the highest international competition.<\/p>\n
In addition, an 18-year-old Anthony led Syracuse to its lone national championship in 2003. One of the most popular one-and-dones, when it was apparent he would be at Syracuse no longer than two semesters, he put the Orange on his shoulders for a miracle freshman season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat championship is part of the reason why I\u2019m here,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re talking about winning a championship in college and being able to have a foundation to start [the NBA] off with. The only thing I had to do was build on top of that, be consistent, become a great pro, commit to the game of basketball and try to win a championship. That was a moment that changed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
And regardless of their career setbacks, flaws, and weaknesses, Anthony and Howard are here in Springfield, immortalized along with Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, and Billy Donovan. They are two of the game\u2019s all-time greats. Anthony was named to the all-time Top 75 team and is 10th all time in points.<\/p>\n
Howard is 10th all time in rebounds and 13th in blocked shots. No, he never rose to the likes of Jabbar, Chamberlain, Russell or Olajuwon, but Howard\u2019s career is indeed Hall of Fame worthy. It seems that the Naismith Hall of Fame has joined the Baseball and Pro Football Hall of Fames in perhaps lessening their lofty requirements where very good players or Hall of Fame cusp players have been allowed into the fraternity.<\/p>\n
But this isn\u2019t the case here. For as many critics as Howard has, and there are many, the first decade of his career is Hall worthy and his bubble championship cinched his induction. Howard\u2019s constant jokes and gregarious personality may disguise his actual appreciation for this honor, but it isn\u2019t lost on him. A Hall of Famer before his 40th birthday. A legend still physically able to play in the NBA.<\/p>\n
Dwight Howard is here to stay in Springfield and we have to accept and even embrace that idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy, when I first got the call, after I cried and went through everything, I\u2019m like man, I thought I was going to get in when I was 60 or something,\u201d he said Friday. \u201cI\u2019m 39 and in the Hall of Fame. I\u2019m just thankful that my kids and my parents get to see me get this award and I\u2019m a very young age where I\u2019m not old and trying to figure out [my past]. I\u2019m here and I\u2019m just grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe<\/a>.<\/p>\n