Howard recognized by Hall of Fame

All Dwight Howard urges his doubters to do is this: look at the numbers. They tell the story, he insists. He averaged 15.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Only 13 other players in the history of the NBA have posted those for a career.

They all made the Hall of Fame.

"So, why not me?" Howard asked.

He doesn't have to ask that question anymore.

Howard — who is still upset, and some would say rightly so, for being left off the NBA's 75th anniversary team that was unveiled nearly four years ago — wasn't snubbed for the top individual honor that can be bestowed upon a player. He goes into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, capping a career where he was an eight-time All-Star, a five-time rebounding champion, a two-time blocked shots champion and the only player to win defensive player of the year over three consecutive seasons.

"I'm most proud of the fact that I've had longevity. That I've been able to play as long as I've been able to, and stay as healthy as I have," Howard said. "And I want people to say that one thing about me is that I was always going to put my best foot forward, 100 percent effort. They can say, 'no matter what it is, he's going to put in everything he has'."

Howard is one of two dual-enshrinees this weekend; he and Carmelo Anthony are both going into the Hall of Fame for both their individual achievements and, again, as part of the 2008 US Olympic basketball team dubbed the "Redeem Team" after winning gold at the Beijing Games that summer.

Also entering the Hall this weekend: women's basketball greats Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, Miami Heat managing general partner Micky Arison, longtime NBA referee Dan Crawford and Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan — a winner of two NCAA titles when he coached at Florida.

"It's a great class," USA Basketball men's national team director Sean Ford said.