Dwight Howard’s Olympics Ego Boost Was Destroyed in Pieces by 7ft NBA Legend

You’d not expect Dwight Howard, with his 3 Defensive Player of the Year titles, to struggle at defense. Especially when he has achieved these titles 3 years in a row, along with 5 rebounding leader and 2 block leader titles. But there was someone against whom the 8x All-Star struggled. It seems, however, that D12 intends to redeem himself against the player whom he declared “hardest” to guard.

“Yao Ming… I dogged him in the Olympics but in the NBA that was a tough matchup for sure…” Howard wrote on X while sharing an old clip from his appearance on The OGs podcast where he had admitted Ming to be the “hardest player to guard”. 

Explaining his stance, Howard emphasized the Chinese basketball legend was not just huge with his 7’6″ frame but also skilled with fadeaways, turnarounds, and jump shots in his arsenal. But yes, the size difference was very obvious, which Dwight Howard didn’t hesitate to highlight.

“I’m really 6-9, 6-10. My shoulders make me 6-11… But Yao is 7-4, 7-5, 315 pounds. Get into the middle. Hook shot. You can block it. Face up. Jump shot. Pick and pop to the elbow. He’s making that,” D12 said. However, now it seems the former Los Angeles Lakers star wants to redeem his proficiency while not disagreeing with his previous remarks which explains the caption he wrote along with the clip on X.

But how accurate is Dwight Howard’s claim that he “dogged” Ming in the Olympics? Let’s rewind to 2008 Olympics when they faced each other in Beijing. Yes, Team USA was indeed able to limit the 7’6″ player to just 13 points, exactly what Dwight also scored. However, statistically, it does not seem the 3x DPOY had much to do with Ming’s low score.

Howard had no blocks and just 2 rebounds (both defensive). Yao, meanwhile, had 3 blocks and 10 rebounds (5 defensive) in the game. The only possibility is that D12 contained Ming on the perimeter because the highlights show the 7’6″ star soring most of the time he was inside the paint. But still considering D12’s argument, Ming almost owned the 3x DPOY in their NBA matchups.

Dwight Howard against Yao Ming in the NBA

The mid-2000s NBA was a different game than what we see today. With a less spread-out floor, traditional big men like Dwight Howard and Yao Ming dominated the low and high posts. In their head-to-head matchups, however, Ming consistently outshined Howard, showcasing a unique combination of size and skill that made him a nightmare to defend.

Standing at 7’6″, Yao used his towering presence and polished jump-shooting arsenal to neutralize Howard’s athleticism and physicality. The numbers tell the story—Yao held a commanding 7-2 head-to-head record against the 3x DPOY. During those games, the Chinese basketball legend averaged an impressive 23.6 points per game compared to Howard’s 12.2.

And Yao wasn’t just a scoring threat; he limited Howard’s effectiveness on the other end too. He averaged 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in their matchups, slightly outpacing Howard’s 9.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.

Unfortunately, NBA fans were robbed of a prime-versus-prime rivalry between the two, as injuries cut Ming’s career short. Still, his dominance against Howard and other top centers of his era remains a testament to his unique skill set and impact on the game.