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NBA History: 25 best sidekicks of all time

By Hans Themistode

LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Kobe Bryant (L), Shaquille O'Neal (C) and Brian Shaw (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers joke on the bench during the final minutes in game four of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs 27 May 2001 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers beat the Spurs 111-82 to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0. AFP PHOTO/Mike NELSON (Photo credit should read MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Kobe Bryant (L), Shaquille O'Neal (C) and Brian Shaw (R) of the Los Angeles Lakers joke on the bench during the final minutes in game four of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs 27 May 2001 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The Lakers beat the Spurs 111-82 to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0. AFP PHOTO/Mike NELSON (Photo credit should read MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 25 best NBA sidekicks of all time: 21. Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard loved the spotlight. He soaked in it, bathed in it, and welcomed it with open arms. With the pressure of being the number one overall pick in the 2004 draft squarely on his broad shoulders, Howard lived up to those expectations and even surpassed them.

When Howard was smack dab in the middle of his prime, he was the best big man that the league had to offer. During a five year stretch from 2008-2012, Howard averaged 20.6 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. To go even further into his dominance, Howard was an eight-time All-Star, five-time rebounding champ, and twice led the league in blocks. Not to mention he brought home three Defensive Player of the Year awards and led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009.

For as great as he was, Howard was forced to take a backseat once he began moving around. His progress to the second spot in the pecking order began in 2012 when Howard was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. No one was going to usurp Kobe Bryant for the lead dog spot but Howard played his role nicely. He averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

Howard would then sign with the Houston Rockets where he was the co-star next to James Harden. In three seasons Howard’s average dipped lower and lower from 18.3 points to 15.8 to 13.7 points per game. He would play one more season as a team’s second star when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets during the 2017-18 season. Howard would average 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds.

Since then, Howard has jumped from team to team but he’s nothing more than a bench player at this point.