“Those tears today were tears of JOY”: Dwight Howard shared heartfelt response as Orlando Magic honored him with Hall of Fame induction

Dwight Howard’s legacy has been written in the Orlando Magic history. On Monday, the franchise honored the dominant big man by inducting him into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame. Howard became the 13th individual to receive this prestigious recognition.
The ceremony took place ahead of the Magic’s highly anticipated game against the Los Angeles Lakers— one of Howard’s former teams. Fans packed the Amway Center in record-breaking numbers celebrating the legendary NBA star’s legacy in the franchise.


Dwight Howard was overjoyed with the honor. "I am overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion, reflecting on my journey with the Orlando Magic. It brings back a flood of memories, challenges, triumphs, and more importantly, the people who stood by me throughout," he said.
Howard further took to X to share his emotional response. “Those tears today were tears of JOY,” he wrote.

The 39-year-old added, “Tears for that 10 year old that said he was going to be the #1 pick in the NBA draft! Tears for the 18 year old kid that was handed the keys to a franchise and a city. Tears for the ups & downs on this long journey I had in the NBA. Everything comes full circle and I want to thank the Magic again for inducting me into the Orlando Magic HOF 💙”
Drafted first overall by Orlando in 2004, Howard quickly became the face of the franchise. Over his eight seasons with the Magic, he rewrote the record books, becoming the team’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, and minutes played.
His dominance in the paint earned him three consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. More importantly, he led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010. He gave the franchise its most successful era since its inception.

"This place has been my home. It’s where I started my career. It was the most important eight years of my young life… there were a lot of things I had to grow up and learn fast," Howard said at the ceremony.
Magic CEO Alex Martin also acknowledged Howard’s contributions, "Some of the greatest memories in Magic history came during that era… just to have watched Dwight, his incredible play, along with his teammates, those were great times that Magic fans will never forget."
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Magic’s tribute to Howard was also celebrated by a reported record-breaking attendance of 19,598 spectators. Regardless, the honor was another accolade to his legacy-enriched career in the NBA. Howard last played for the Los Angeles Lakers.