Dwight Howard has responded to the recent criticism of NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, asserting that he is not a stupid basketball player.
“Dwight is an extraordinary athlete and has incredible athletic ability, but basketball is a game where the most important muscle that you use on the court is the one between your ears,” Abdul-Jabbar said on ESPN’s “First Take” on Thursday. “Dwight’s basketball IQ is not up to speed for him to be a dominant player.”
Howard, who left the LA Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets this offseason, had a ready response.
“You can’t win three Defensive Player of the Year trophies and be stupid. That can’t be done,” he said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “And I don’t think any coach that has ever coached me has said I have a low IQ for basketball.
“Have I done some dumb stuff on the floor? Yes, every player has. Have I done some stupid things in life? Yes, it’s life. We make mistakes and learn from them. It is what it is. I think I am very intelligent when it comes to the game of basketball. I have been playing since I was 3 years old. Each year, I get a little smarter.
“People will have something to say. Is what it is. I’m in (Houston) now. This city has my back and we are going to ride together.”
Howard has made the All-Star team seven times in his nine years in the NBA. He also averaged 18.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in his career.
