Dwight Howard is no stranger to controversy, both on and off the court. Known as much for his powerful dunks and All-Star appearances as for his sometimes puzzling decisions, Howard’s career has been a mix of highlights and missteps. After a contentious departure from the Orlando Magic, the 6-foot-10 center faced challenges with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. Moreover, he often clashed with fan opinions. Howard’s latest misstep comes as a lighthearted Instagram post, a fantasy basketball scenario that unintentionally opened a can of worms.

Lately, Howard shared an Instagram post that sparked lively debates among his followers. He challenged fans with an intriguing scenario. “$5 million on the line pick one NBA/Ex NBA player to play against (regardless of age),” read the caption in the picture. In the post, he included pictures of some of the greatest basketball players of all time, like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, raising an irresistible question for basketball fans: Who would they take on for the chance at the ultimate prize?

The post quickly went viral, with fans flooding the comments with their dream matchups. The discussion heated up as people debated which player they would choose based on their skill levels, strengths, and weaknesses. However, one observant fan noticed a loophole in the post’s wording. The post only mentioned “playing” an NBA player, not winning against them. This fan humorously pointed out, “Anyone.. u didnt say win. Just play lol.” This comment ultimately stunned Howard and clarified by writing, “You have to win to get the $5,000,0000 btw.”

This clever observation threw Howard’s post into a whirlwind of unexpected interpretations. Many fans quickly caught onto the loophole. The comment section became a flood of fans claiming they’d go for the easiest matchup – just for participation and that lucrative payout. Time to see what most of them said.

Fan responses based on Dwight Howard’s post

As mentioned previously, Dwight Howard quickly stepped in to clarify his post had already exploded with responses showcasing fans’ humor, creativity, and passion for the game. The most common comment was fans pointing out the most obvious mistake in the post with one fan commenting, “Doesn’t say you have to win… just play against,” and another follower pointing out, “I’ll play anyone for the sake of winning.”

Some fans even showed the extent of their reasoning skills. One fan wrote, “Musgby Bouges.” The interesting thing about this choice was that at 5-foot-3, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues is the shortest NBA player of all time. So having a 1v1 against him would be quite easy for someone who is taller to play against him. But don’t sleep on Bogues. The guy was a live-wire.

Moreover, one follower even crossed boundaries as he wrote, “I’d do Larry bird ngl his back, he can’t move.” The legendary player and coach brought fame to the Boston Celtics after Bill Russell’s era. He won titles with the franchise, laying the foundations for a better future.

However, as most of the followers were busy choosing old players with some vulnerabilities, one was brave enough to choose Dwight for the challenge but gave a small twist to it. “Ill pick dwight! Cause he’s a legend and its an honor to play with him! Money is not the reward his greatness is!🔥🙌,” wrote the fan.

Indeed, Howard is a humor-loving person, which remains evident from his frequent podcast episodes. Capitalizing on this one fact might have worked for the fan. In the end, this harmless gaffe only served to boost the post’s engagement, as fans were quick to join in on the debate and enjoy the friendly rivalry sparked by Howard’s question.