Dwight Howard catches the rebound during the game against the Orlando Magic on January 21, 2022.
The most decorated rebounders in NBA history welcomed a new member on Friday night. With his first rebound against the Orlando Magic, the team that selected him No. 1 in the 2004 draft, Dwight Howard passed Nate Thurmond for 10th place among the league’s all-time rebounding leaders. He is behind ninth place Kevin Garnett by less than 200 boards.
Howard accomplished the feat in his 18th season, buoyed by the dominance he commanded early in his career after entering the league straight from high school. The 6-foot-10 big man owns five rebounding titles in addition to eight All-Star honors, eight All-NBA selections, five All-Defensive nominations, three Defensive Player of the Year awards and two blocking titles.
With his first rebound of the game, Dwight Howard is only 10th on the NBA’s all-time rebounding list. Congratulations, DH 👏 pic.twitter.com/xcaij4Mejw
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 22, 2022
The 36-year-old Howard enjoyed most of that accolade as a young superstar in Orlando, a stretch that included a trip to the 2009 Finals against the same Lakers franchise he plays for now, and won. a championship in 2020.
Los Angeles hopes Howard can provide a similar spark now, starting him for the 10th time this season as the team looks to stabilize what has been an inconsistent season. The Lakers entered Friday night with a 22-23 record, good for eighth place in the Western Conference.
