Depending on who is telling the story, the 2020 NBA Bubble was either shrewd or the ultimate shrine for basketball. Players such as Paul George and Lou Williams couldn’t function properly in that environment. There were no fans, no traveling to a road arena, and no support from family. Hence, many don’t regard that 2020 season highly. But those who completely devoted themselves to the process felt completely different, making it one of the most talked-about seasons with wide opinions.

It was the Lakers who won that season. For LeBron James, it was his fourth championship, first in the purple and gold. As a team, their closeness and collective effort aided them in winning one of the toughest championships in recent times. Even for them, not being in familiar settings created a mental challenge they had to overcome. But the way Dwight Howard saw it, this was the chance for every player in the bubble to be at their best.

“You’re in a situation where nobody has nothing but basketball. So you’re going to get the highest quality of basketball from all the players,” said the Orlando Magic legend. Then why do the Lakers have an asterisk next to their 2020 conquest? Howard feels it has something to do with his former teammate LeBron James.

“If another team would have won, they would have said they won. But because it’s the Lakers, because it’s a team with LeBron on it, you got a lot of polarizing players on that same team. It’s something that’s still being talked about,” Howard told CBS Sports. It’s still an ongoing argument in the media. Not many treat the Lakers’ 2020 title seriously, including a few who played in that very team.

However, for Howard, those narratives don’t matter. “My championship ring does not say bubble championship on it. It says 2020 Lakers champion,” Howard pointed out. But to him, the remarks around that championship didn’t hurt as much as him not getting the recognition he deserved. Howard still feels upset for not getting a chance to walk among the greats.

Dwight Howard finds redemption after NBA Top 75 snub

The NBA Top 75 was a momentous occasion in the NBA. It didn’t just celebrate the longevity and success of the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers became the place where icons from across eras all came together. An educated panel voted for the 75 best players in the decorated history of the league. Shaq, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and more got to walk on a specially curated podium for the entire arena to see.

11 centers were selected. Each of them had an embellished resume to stand on that platform. Surprisingly, that didn’t include Dwight Howard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. That didn’t sit well with the former LA Lakers big man. “Top 75 to me is something that should be a travesty with me not being on that over a bubble ring or not,” said Howard. He guessed the forthcoming dread when ESPN came to revealing the last ten names, and he wasn’t on the list. It felt like a “big slap in the face”.

Howard is one of the most prolific centers and arguably among the greatest shot blockers of all time. However, optimism helped will march forward. And eventually, he was rewarded by history. “I always find ways to turn any negative into a positive. And that positive came this year when I was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. That is the biggest accomplishment you can get as a basketball player. So by being able to get into that, it just like, of course I can be upset about the top 75, but now my name is in the history books forever as basketball hall of fame,” Howard revealed.

For a man who carried the ‘Superman’ title with honor and relentlessly blocked shots in his prime, the nod is well deserved. And he might not be on the list, but being a Hall of Famer is the only validation one needs for their distinguished career. Dwight Howard is now among the greats, as it should have been in 2021.