The headline from Sports Illustrated's 2009 NBA Playoffs preview might still ring true: Can the [Orlando] Magic's dunk machine get serious for a moment?
Howard has matured and grown since those early days, but he still has that playful spirit. That was on full display when Howard boasted the Orlando Magic would upset the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Who could blame him? Howard is feeling rather nostalgic these days after the team inducted him into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame, and he was welcomed home with open arms after a contentious decade. Who could blame him in a rematch of one of his greatest playoff victories from the 2009 NBA Finals run?
It feels like the Magic have an extremely bright future ahead of them. Everyone can feel it.
Even Howard.
Dwight Howard tells Magic not to take moments for granted
He was asked about the current iteration of the Magic when he was in Orlando for his Hall of Fame induction in March. Howard knows how quickly a team can come together and reach contention and how quickly things can fall apart.
While Howard's exit was contentious, he has come to understand how special his time in Orlando was. It is why returning to Orlando for his Hall of Fame induction -- and his arrival for Game 6 of last year's Playoffs -- were special for him. It was truly a homecoming.
Those lessons were still with him as he thought about the Magic's next great team.
"I just hope that, one, they don't take these moments for granted," Howard said in March. "I know the year we went to the Finals, we thought we were going to be so good that we could go every year. But unfortunately, we didn't make it back. I would just say don't take any of these moments for granted. Take no games, no practices, none of this for granted because you never know if you will get this opportunity again."
Certainly it feels right now the Magic are going to be competing for the Playoffs for years to come. It indeed feels like contention is inevitable.
But if there was one lesson from this season, it is that success is not guaranteed. During exit interviews, the Magic seemed to have some grasp of that as they looked back on their season.
Orlando thought it was on an inevitable rise up the standings. But injuries derailed the season. It became a struggle just to make the Playoffs. The Magic found that repeating success is not so easy.
That lesson from Howard should be one that rings with them.
The Magic did not defeat the Celtics in the end. Boston won the series in five games. But Howard's larger point about how good Banchero could be played out.
Banchero had a strong playoff showing, averaging 29.4 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists per game. That confirmed his strong showing in the 2024 Playoffs (27.0 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game in the seven-game series with the Cleveland Cavaliers).
It seems Paolo Banchero is destined for superstardom. The Magic have a star player to build around -- and then another with Franz Wagner that gies them their best one-two punch in nearly 30 years.
This offseason is a big one for the Magic. The team is already previewing that, saying it is time to be more assertive, adding to the roster. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said it is indeed a new phase in the team's rebuild. They will make moves with a "win-now lens."
Part of that will include a new extension for Banchero as his rookie contract expires after the 2026 season. It is clear Banchero will not be going anywhere anytime soon as he gets his anticipated max deal.
"I love it here," Banchero said at exit interviews. "I think in the last year or so I've been able to get myself settled in here and get more comfortable. This is a place I love spending time. My family loves spending time here. I couldn't be more happy to be part of the Orlando Magic. Look forward to spending more years here."
That, of course, means the clock is ticking.
The Magic have big ambitions. They were not satisfied with a second straight first-round exit or a five-game series with a championship contender. They learned a lot about themselves, but it left them eager for more.
The franchise seems to have taken that message.
The last two seasons have revitalized Magic fandom to a point it has not been since Howard was here. Everyone is hungry to see the team competing for more and grow into a championship team. Everyone can see the potential with the talent.
Orlando does not have time to waste.
"It's very difficult to make it to this level," Howard said in March. "I just don't want them to take anything for granted. How much are they willing to sacrifice for the opportunity to win a championship? If Orlando got a championship? Oh my God. It would be best for the city and well deserved."
Only time will tell if this advice is heeded and if the Magic make the most of this opportunity.