Dwight Howard on Guarding Jokic and Playing BIG3

TL;DR

Dwight Howard, 39, still plays in the BIG3 for the love of the game and to spread basketball internationally, calling it the only summertime basketball in the States. During the 2020 bubble, his lone job guarding Nikola Jokic was to agitate and mirror him, which he credits as central to the Lakers championship.

Transcript

What's up y'all? I'm back with another episode of Carious Mike. We got a legend in the building. You know what I'm saying? My dude Dwight Howard. I appreciate you hopping on the show, bro. Yes sir. Thanks for having me. Yes, sir. Um, I want to start off in the basketball space, then we going to transition a little bit, but I know obviously you were... Read More

Key Insights

• Dwight Howard continues playing in the BIG3 after roughly 20 years in the NBA, describing it as a way to stay competitive, travel with his wife and kids, do business, and enjoy the fans and atmosphere during the summer.
• The BIG3 is the only summertime professional basketball in the United States, which is why old NBA players, overseas veterans, and Drew League and Ball Is Life hoopers all want to play and everyone watches.
• Howard's first BIG3 season felt like a rookie year again, hitting a wall trying to figure out how the game was being reffed and played, and his team lost the game that would have sent them to the finals.
• Guarding Nikola Jokic works by denying him space, because when given room Jokic gets comfortable, attacks either direction, uses up-and-unders, and rises into pull-up jumpers.
• Jokic's strength is underrated because he lacks visible muscles, but he is a heavy, big player with real power backing defenders down, similar to Boris Diaw's type of physicality.
• Howard's whole bubble mindset was that stopping Jokic and winning the championship would earn him another contract, fighting for two or three more years in the league at that stage of his career.
• Mike Beasley became the face of the BIG3 through his one-on-one games, and his win over Lance Stephenson amped up the league's popularity across the summer.
• Howard, at 39, believes he could still guard NBA centers with some training, crediting childhood repetition that gave his body muscle memory to return to shape quickly.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does Dwight Howard still play in the BIG3?

Howard plays in the BIG3 for the love of the game and to spread basketball not just in America but internationally. He says it lets him stay competitive, travel during the summer with his wife and kids, and do some business while enjoying the fans and the atmosphere. He also notes the BIG3 is the only summertime basketball in the States, so everyone watches, making it a meaningful stage for players who still want to hoop.

Q: What was Dwight Howard's first BIG3 season like?

Howard says it felt like being a rookie in the NBA again, starting basketball all over despite playing about 20 years in the league. He hit a wall trying to figure out how the game was being reffed and played. His team had three rookies and knick-knack injuries, and they were still learning to play together. They lost the last game they played, which would have sent them to the finals, leaving him hungry for next season.

Q: How does Dwight Howard guard Nikola Jokic?

In the bubble, Howard's only job was to lock in on defense against Jokic, so he could fully focus on how to agitate and pressure him all game. He learned that giving Jokic space lets him get comfortable, attack either way, use up-and-unders, and rise into pull-up jumpers. Howard's approach was to mimic and mirror Jokic, denying that space, which took a lot of mental energy against such a smart, tough player.

Q: Why is Nikola Jokic so strong despite not looking muscular?

Howard explains that many people miss Jokic's strength because he does not have visible muscles. Jokic is one of those heavy, big players who do not need to be super muscular to have real power. He has strength in the back, similar to Boris Diaw, and is strong backing defenders down. Howard says Jokic does not look strong, but he is genuinely strong when posting up, which is part of what makes him difficult to guard.

Q: What was Dwight Howard's mindset during the 2020 bubble?

Howard says he was fighting for his life at that point in his career, wanting two or three more years in the league. His entire mindset was that if he stopped Jokic and the Lakers won the championship, he would earn another contract. He stayed locked in on that goal the whole time in the bubble, thinking about beating Jokic, winning, and securing his next deal, which drove his intense defensive focus on that matchup.

Q: How did Mike Beasley become the face of the BIG3?

Howard celebrates Beasley's rise despite his ups and downs, saying he is now being celebrated as the face of the league. Beasley made the BIG3 super popular through his one-on-one games. His matchup against Lance Stephenson amped up the league over the summer, since fans debated who would win between two players who had NBA experience. Beasley won and took off, and Howard says he had the whole summer on lock, expressing pride and happiness for him.

Q: Does Dwight Howard think he could still guard NBA players at 39?

Howard, who says he is 39, believes that with some training he would be ready to guard NBA players, though not on the very same day. He credits training as a kid and getting reps in, which gave his body muscle memory like a shooter. He says he can take time off, but his body knows when it is time to get back into shape, so returning to condition comes naturally after a break.

Q: Which big men does Dwight Howard rank as toughest matchups?

Limiting it to players he was on the court with, Howard names Mark Jackson, who played in Philly and now does TV there, and Rasheed Wallace, whom he calls super nice and strong with a turnaround jump shot. He praises Kendrick Perkins for defense, noting he had battled Perkins since high school when hacking was allowed. He also cites DeMarcus Cousins for his handles and their foul-heavy battles, and mentions wanting to rewatch his matchups against Shaq.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Dwight Howard sits down with Michael Porter Jr. and says he plans to play in the BIG3 again for the love of the game and to spread basketball internationally, valuing the travel, competition, and time with his family while still enjoying the fans and the atmosphere.

• His BIG3 debut felt like starting basketball over as a rookie despite 20 NBA years, hitting a mental wall over refereeing and pace; his team had three rookies, small injuries, and lost the game that would have advanced them to the finals.

• Howard details guarding Nikola Jokic in the 2020 bubble, where his sole job was locking in on defense, agitating and mirroring Jokic to deny space, a role he credits as a major reason for the Lakers championship and his mindset of earning another contract.