Dwight Howard took a trip down memory lane, sharing a throwback highlight reel on his X profile that had fans buzzing. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year flexed his dominance from the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, where a 22-year-old Howard was at the peak of his athletic prowess. The video showcased his insane strength, blocking shots, snagging rebounds, and dunking over some of the biggest names in basketball—including LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

In the caption, Howard playfully poked fun at LeBron and Carmelo, claiming to have “stolen” an alley-oop from LeBron and dunking on Carmelo. And while it sounds like a stretch, the video backs it up. Around the 20-second mark, Howard comes flying in for a massive putback dunk with Carmelo right underneath, trying to grab the rebound—so yes, technically, he dunked on Melo. Moments later, you see Howard on a fast break with LeBron, where he seemingly snatches an alley-oop out of the air for a thunderous finish.

The clip is a perfect reminder of just how dominant Howard was in his prime. At 22, he was a force of nature, leading Team USA to a crushing 118-81 victory over Argentina in the tournament’s final. Howard’s performance was so impactful that it earned him a spot on the 2008 Redeem Team for the Beijing Olympics, where he joined the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to win gold.

Looking back, Howard was the youngest player on that legendary Redeem Team, but his presence was undeniable. In fact, during a recent appearance on Gil’s Arena podcast, Howard boldly claimed that the 2008 squad would beat Team USA’s 2024 roster in a seven-game series. Whether or not that’s true, one thing is certain: dealing with a 22-year-old Dwight Howard was no easy task, even for the likes of Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo