Gilbert Arenas on the biggest difference between Dwight Howard and Joel Embiid: "Dwight was an animal"

Yahoo

16-05-2025

The dominance Dwight Howard once held in the NBA might never be fully appreciated, especially since he was left off the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. But Gilbert Arenas, in his trademark blunt and unapologetic style, recently tried to shed light on just how terrifying D12 was in his prime.
He painted a picture of physical dominance rarely seen today, describing how defenders braced themselves for the beating their bodies would endure whenever they were assigned to guard the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
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One such example involved Malik Allen, who went to great lengths to protect himself against Howard, something which "Agent Zero" is fear that the likes of Joel Embiid can never instill in the hearts of the opposition.
Arenas on just how strong prime Dwight was
Sure, "The Process" resume sparkles. He's already led the league in scoring twice, something Dwight never did. On paper, Embiid looks like an unstoppable force when he decides to impose his will on a game. But Arenas insists that what the eight-time All-Star brought to the core - especially in terms of raw, physical dominance - is something that makes him far superior to prime Embiid.
"Like Dwight goes hard," Arenas said. "You know, like a little rubber-like for yoga blocks, he had to tape a yoga block to his chest. I believe that it was Malik Allen… Malik Allen had to wear that rubber thing, had to tape it. He just had this bulge out because when Dwight… the elbow was messinghim up and it was hurting the dude. When the practice was over, Dwight was (doing) 500 pushups; Dwight was an animal."
However, the manner in which Evan Turner reacted to the victim being Mark Allen, speaks volumes about the admission. The latter wasn't an all-time big man but he wasn't a slouch either, being 6'10" and 225lb. Yet when he went up against Howard, he made sure to take precautions to keep his body away from long-term harm.
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Joel Embiid needs to toughen up
If the 2023 MVP truly wants to be mentioned among the game's legendary big men - the kind who were not just stars but undisputed alphas - he has more to prove. It's not just about numbers; it's about impact. Howard led a team to the NBA Finals by his fifth season, something Embiid hasn't yet done.
More importantly, Howard was durable. Embiid, on the other hand, is constantly shadowed by injury concerns. If he wants to elevate himself into that elite tier, he'll need to stay healthy and dominate consistently with his raw strength, something in the same way Nikola Jokic is doing in today's game.
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That being said, Arenas' comments also highlight how former players often see the game from a deeper, more experiential angle. They can spot how Joel might be a statistical juggernaut, but he doesn't strike the same fear in the opposition's hearts as Howard did, during his prime years.
That fear was felt when Howard was playing defense as well. Not only did he have the ability to defend most centers one-on-one without any help, but he was also a terrific help defender as well. Most guards knew he was operating in the paint defensively and that is where most of Dwght's blocks came from.
Related: Dwight Howard on how his stint with Kobe Bryant negatively impacted his legacy: "How Kobe reacted and him being who he is, people took that"