Former Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard has recently claimed in an interview that he was better than Denver Nuggets big man and 2022-23 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. The 37-year-old previously stated that he could take Jokic in his prime, and he has doubled down again with recent comments. Howard also reaffirmed his place among the NBA greats by calling himself one of the top 10 centres of all time.
The NBA legend was one of the defining players of his generation, being a regular All-Star from 2006 until 2014. Known for his athletic ability and speed, the centre has no doubt earned the right to name himself among the greatest players, though fans of the sport were not very enthused with Howard’s confidence.
"Yeah, of course. Obviously, people going to say Jokic can score. He got all those offensive skills,” Howard said, comparing himself to the reigning NBA Champion. “But at the same time, I was getting 38 and 20, 45-18, 19, 20, and I'm doing all this with twos. No threes, all twos. I'm doing this with lobs. I'm not getting a lot of post-up attempts like Jokic. He's getting way more opportunities.”
Despite his comments, Howard insists he isn’t hating on Jokic, saying: “No offense, I think he's great. I love Jokic. I don't want people to think that I'm trying to hate even comparing, but I'm going to take myself.”
Jokic has been in incredible form over the 2023 season, winning the Nuggets their first-ever NBA Championship and winning Finals MVP and NBA MVP along the way. The 5-time All-Star will look to build on a successful year and cement his place as one of the best players in the world.
