Object10

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Dwight Howard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dwight Howard

Howard playing for the Rockets in 2014

No. 12 Houston Rockets
Position
Center
League
NBA
Personal information
December 8, 1985 (age 29)
Born
Atlanta, Georgia
Nationality
American
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 275 lb (125 kg)
Career information
Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
High school
(Atlanta, Georgia)
NBA draft
2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
2004present
Career history
20042012
Orlando Magic

20122013
2013present

Los Angeles Lakers

Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
8 NBA All-Star (20072014)
5 All-NBA First Team (20082012)
All-NBA Second Team (2014)
2 All-NBA Third Team (2007, 2013)
3 NBA Defensive Player of the Year (20092011)
4 NBA All-Defensive First Team (20092012)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2008)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2005)
NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2008)
5 NBA rebounds leader (20082010, 20122013)
2 NBA blocks leader (20092010)
Orlando Magic all-time leading scorer
Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2004)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Medals[hide]
Men's basketball
Competitor for the
United States
Olympic Games
2008 Beijing
Team competition
FIBA World Championship
2006 Japan
Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
2007 Las Vegas Team competition
Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985)[1] is an American professional basketball player
who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howard, who plays
center, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. He chose to
forgo college and entered the 2004 NBA draft, and was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic. An
eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA team selection, five-time All-Defensive member, and threetime Defensive Player of the Year, Howard has been ranked consistently as one of the best in the league
in rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw attempts, and has set numerous franchise and
league records. He led the Magic to three division titles and one conference title, and he was the winner
of the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. In the 2008 Olympics, he was the starting center for Team USA,
which went on to win the gold medal. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, and signed
with the Houston Rockets in 2013.
Before he was drafted in 2004, Howard said that he wanted to use his NBA career and Christian faith to
"raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world". In November 2009, he was named

one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their
charitable work.

Contents
1 Early life
2 Professional career
2.1 Orlando Magic (20042012)
2.1.1 Early years (20042007)
2.1.2 Leader of consecutive division champions (20072010)
2.1.3 Frustration (20102012)
2.2 Los Angeles Lakers (20122013)
2.3 Houston Rockets (2013present)
3 Honors, awards and achievements
4 NBA career statistics
4.1 Regular season
4.2 Playoffs
5 United States national team
6 Player profile
7 Life outside of basketball
7.1 Public image
7.2 Personal life
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links

Early life
Howard was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Dwight, Sr. and Sheryl Howard, and into a family with strong
athletic connections. His father is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest
Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy with one of the best high school basketball programs in
the country, while his mother played on the inaugural women's basketball team at Morris Brown
College.[1] Howard's mother had seven miscarriages before he was born.[2] A devout Christian since
his youth, Howard became serious about basketball around the age of nine; when in the eighth grade,
he resolved to be selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft one day.[3][4] Despite his large
frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position.[4] He elected to attend
Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for high school, and in his four years he played mostly as power

forward, averaging 16.6 points per game (ppg), 13.4 rebounds per game (rpg) and 6.3 blocks per game
in 129 appearances.[1][4] As a senior, Howard led his team to the 2004 state title.[4] He averaged 25
points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks and 3.5 assists per game.[4] That same year, Howard was widely
recognized as the best American high school basketball player, and he was awarded the Naismith Prep
Player of the Year Award, the Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade
National Player of the Year and the McDonald's National High School Player of the Year honor.[5] He
was also co-MVP (with J. R. Smith) of the McDonald's High School All-American Game that year.[5]
On January 31, 2012, Howard was also honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans.
[6]

Professional career
Orlando Magic (20042012)
Early years (20042007)

Howard at the free throw line

Following his high school successes, Howard chose to forego college and declared for the 2004 NBA
drafta decision partly inspired by his idol Kevin Garnett who had done the same in 1995where the
Orlando Magic selected him first overall over UConn junior Emeka Okafor.[1][4] He took the number
12 for his jersey, in part because it was the reverse of Garnett's 21 when he played for Minnesota.[7]
Howard joined a depleted Magic squad that had finished with only 21 victories the previous season;
further, the club had just lost perennial NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady.[4] Howard, however, made an
immediate impact. He finished his rookie season with an average of 12.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg,[8] setting
several NBA records in the process. He became the youngest player in NBA history to average a double
double in the regular season.[5] He also became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least
10 rebounds in a season and youngest NBA player ever to record at least 20 rebounds in a game.[5]
Howard's importance to the Magic was highlighted when he became the first player in NBA history
directly out of high school to start all 82 games during his rookie season.[5] For his efforts, he was
selected to play in the 2005 NBA Rookie Challenge, and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie
Team.[5] He also finished third to fellow center Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and guard Ben

Gordon of the Chicago Bulls for the Rookie of the Year award.[9]

Howard boxes out JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards.

Howard reported to camp for his second NBA campaign having added 20 pounds of muscle during the
off-season.[4] Orlando coach Brian Hillresponsible for grooming former Magic superstar Shaquille
O'Nealdecided that Howard should be converted into a full-fledged center.[4] Hill identified two
areas where Howard needed to improve: his post-up game, and his defense. He exerted extra pressure
on Howard, saying that the Magic would need him to emerge as a force in the middle before the team
had a chance at the playoffs.[4] Even though the big man played tentatively at times, he was able to
build on his strong rookie year with an impressive sophomore season. On November 15, 2005, in a
home game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard scored 21 points and 20 rebounds, becoming the
youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and gather 20 or more rebounds in the same game.[10]
He was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star
break,[1] and on April 15, 2006, he recorded a career-high 26 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers;
his 28 points in that game also brought him close to an NBA rarity, a 3030 game.[4][8] Overall, he
averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds[8] per game, ranking second in the NBA in rebounds per game,
offensive rebounds, and double doubles; and sixth in field goal percentage.[1] Despite Howard's
improvement, the Magic finished the season with a 3646 win-loss record and failed to qualify for the
playoffs for the second consecutive season since Howard's arrival.[11]
Howard took another step forward as the franchise player for Orlando in the 200607 season, and for
the third consecutive season he played in all 82 regular season games.[8] On February 1, 2007, he
received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2007
NBA All-Star Game.[1] Howard finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds.[12] Less than a
week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors.[13] A highlight was his
game-winning alley-oop off an inbound pass at the buzzer against the San Antonio Spurs at Amway
Arena on February 9.[14] As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental,
recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14, 2007.[15] Under his
leadership, the Magic qualified for the 2007 NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2003 as the number
eight seed in the Eastern Conference.[16] However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern

Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round.[17] Howard averaged 17.6 points and 12.3
rebounds per game, and finished first in the NBA in total rebounds, second in field goal percentage, and
ninth in blocks. He was further recognized as one of the best players in the league when he was named
to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the 200607 campaign.[18]
Leader of consecutive division champions (20072010)

Howard contests a shot by Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers

Howard continued posting impressive numbers in the 200708 season; with free agent Rashard Lewis
added to the ranks alongside Hedo Trkolu to provide an extra offensive spark, this was the Magic's
best season yet. Howard's strong and consistent play ensured that he was named as a starter for the
Eastern Conference All-Star team, and by the time the mid-season break arrived, he was leading the
league in double doubles (he concluded the season with a league-high 69) and had recorded 20 points
and 20 rebounds in a game on five occasions (eight by the season's end).[19][20] On February 16,
2008, he won the 2008 NBA slam dunk contest by receiving 78% of the fan's votes via text messaging
or online voting; in that contest, he performed a series of innovative dunks said to have rejuvenated the
contest, including donning a Superman cape for one of the dunks.[21] Howard led the Magic to their
first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs,[20] and in the first-round
match-up against the Toronto Raptors, Howard's dominance (three 20 point/20 rebound games) and
point guard Jameer Nelson's strong play ensured that Orlando prevailed over five games.[22] Howard's
series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto
frontcourt.[23] In the next round against the Pistons, the Magic lost the first two road games before
Howard's 20 point/12 rebound performance in Game 3 salvaged a home win.[24] In that same week,
the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time,[20] and subsequently, the NBA AllDefensive Second Team.[25] Detroit played without their star point guard Chauncey Billups for Games

4 and 5, but Orlando was unable to capitalize on that and lost the series 41 to the veteran playoffs
team.[26]
The 200809 campaign began well for Howard. Ten games into the season, the center was leading the
league in blocks per game (4.2) and even recorded his first triple-double: 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10
blocks.[27] In December, he injured his left knee and missed the first game of his career after playing
in 351 consecutive games.[28] At the halfway point of the season, Howard was leading the league in
rebounds and blocks, and was among the league leaders in field goal percentage. He garnered a record
3.1 million votes to earn the starting berth on the Eastern Conference team for the 2009 NBA All-Star
game.[29] On March 25, 2009, Howard led Orlando to its second straight Southeast Division title with
11 games of the regular season left to play,[30] and eventually the third seed for the 2009 NBA Playoffs
with a 5923 record.[31] On April 21, 2009, he became the youngest player ever to win the NBA
Defensive Player of the Year Award, achieving a goal he had set for himself before the start of the
season.[7] The Magic went into the playoffs without its injured starting point guard Jameer Nelson, and
in the first round against the 76ers, Howard recorded 24 points and 24 rebounds in Game 5 to give
Orlando a 32 lead, before the Magic closed out the series in six games. On May 6, 2009, the center
was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team,[32] and a week later, to the All-NBA First Team.[33]

Howard warming up before a game in 2010

In the second round of the playoffs against the defending champions Boston, the Magic blew a lead in
Game 5 and Howard publicly questioned coach Stan Van Gundy's tactics and said that he should be
given the ball more; in Game 6, the center posted 23 points and 22 rebounds to force the series into
seven games.[34] The Magic went on to defeat Boston, and then defeated Clevelandwhich was led
by league MVP LeBron James42 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Howard had a playoffs careerhigh 40 points to go with his 14 rebounds in the deciding Game 6, leading Orlando to its first NBA
Finals in 14 years.[35] The Los Angeles Lakers took the first two home games to establish a 20 lead in
the Finals, before a home win by the Magic brought the score to 21. In Game 4, despite Howard
putting up 21 rebounds and a Finals-record of 9 blocks in a game, the Magic lost in overtime.[36] The
Lakers went on to win Game 5, and the NBA Finals.[37]
The Magic went into the 200910 season with one major roster change: Trkolu departed for the
Toronto Raptors, while eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter arrived from the New Jersey Nets. As

with the previous two seasons, the Magic got off to a strong start, winning 17 of their first 21 games,
setting a franchise record in the process. He also picked up two Conference Player of the Week awards.
On January 21, 2010, Howard was named as the starting center for the East in the 2010 NBA All-Star
Game.[38] Not long after the Magic completed the regular season with 59 wins and their third
consecutive division title, Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight
year.[39] He became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the
same season twiceand for two years in a row.[39] During the playoffs, the Magic defeated both
Charlotte and Atlanta 4 games to none, in the first and second rounds respectively. In reaching the
Conference Finals again, the Magic faced Bostonwho had upset Cleveland in the Semifinals
Orlando lost the first three games, took the next two, but finally succumbed in Game 6.
Frustration (20102012)
In the 201011 regular season, Howard posted career-highs in points and shooting percentages, but the
Magic were unable to win their division for the fourth straight year. Although the Miami Heat won the
division, the Magic won 52 games, and finished as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
However, the Magic lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first-round of the playoffs.[40] Howard led the
NBA in technical fouls with 18 in the regular season, and received one-game suspensions after his 16th
and 18th technicals.[41]
Due to a lockout, the 201112 regular season was shortened to 66 games. Not long after the lockout
ended, Howard, who was eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season, demanded a trade to
the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks.[42] Howard stated that although his
preference was to remain in Orlando, he did not feel the Magic organization was doing enough to build
a championship contender.[43] He would later meet with Magic officials and agree to back off his trade
demands, but stated that he also felt the team needed to make changes to the roster if they wanted to
contend for a championship.[44]
On January 12, 2012, Howard attempted an NBA regular season record 39 free throws against the
Golden State Warriors. Howard entered the game making 42 percent of his free throws for the season
and just below 60 percent for his career. The Warriors hacked Howard intentionally throughout the
game, and he broke Wilt Chamberlain's regular season record of 34 set in 1962. (Shaquille O'Neal
attempted 39 free throws in Game 2 of the 2000 NBA Finals.) Howard made 21 of the 39 attempts, and
he finished with 45 points and 23 rebounds in the Magic's 117109 victory.[45] On January 24, 2012,
Howard became the Magic's all-time scoring leader, surpassing Nick Anderson's 10,650 points.[46]
On March 15, 2012, on the day of the trading deadline for the 201112 NBA season, Howard signed an
amendment to his contract, waiving his right to opt out at the end of the season and committing to stay
with the Magic through the 201213 season. He had previously asked to be traded to the New Jersey
Nets, and the Magic were prepared to trade him had Howard not signed the amendment, to avoid losing
him as a free agent.[47] On April 5, Van Gundy said that he was informed by management that Howard
wanted him fired. During the interview, the center walked up and hugged his coach, unaware that Van
Gundy had confirmed a report that Howard denied.[48][49]

On April 19, 2012, Howard's agent said that Howard would undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk
in his back, and would miss the rest of the 201112 season, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics in
London.[50] During the offseason, Howard again requested the Magic trade him to the Nets, who had
relocated to Brooklyn. He intended to become free agent at the end of the 201213 season if he was not
traded to Brooklyn.[51][52]

Los Angeles Lakers (20122013)

Howard with Lakers in 2013

On August 10, 2012, Howard was traded from Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that also
involved the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers also received Chris Duhon and
Earl Clark; Magic received Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, Maurice Harkless, Nikola Vucevic,
Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, and draft picks; Philadelphia received Jason Richardson and Andrew
Bynum; and Denver received Andre Iguodala.[53]
Howard took six months off from basketball after his April surgery, and only had the combined four
weeks of training camp and preseason to prepare for the season.[54][55] He played in just two
preseason games, but was able to play in the 201213 season opener against the Dallas Mavericks. He
had 19 points and 10 rebounds, but he was only 3-for-14 on free throws and fouled out; the Lakers lost
9991.[56][57] Still working himself into shape, Howard paced himself throughout the season on both
offense and defense.[55] On January 4, 2013, Howard injured his right shoulder in the second half of
the Lakers' 107102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers when he got his arms tangled up with Caron
Butler. He played through the injury in the next game against the Denver Nuggets, a 112105 loss in
which he tied a career high with 26 rebounds. However, he missed the next three games with a torn
labrum.[58][59] At the midpoint of the season, the Lakers were a disappointing 1724. Howard had not
been consistently dominant on defense, and was at times passive on offense. He was averaging 17.1
points on 58.2% shooting, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks, but also 3.6 fouls a game with 3.2 turnovers
while making only 50.4% of his free throws.[60] The Los Angeles Times criticized his "ability to laugh
off missed throws".[61]

Howard shooting against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013.

Many times Howard was upset that he was not getting the ball enough, and he felt that Kobe Bryant
was shooting too much.[62] Moving forward, Howard said he needed to "bring it" and dominate in
more ways than just scoring.[63] In the following game against Memphis, he had only two points and
four rebounds in 14 minutes before he sat out the rest of the game after aggravating his shoulder injury.
[64] He returned the following game showing no ill effects from the injury.[65] On January 30, Howard
left the Phoenix Suns game early after re-aggravating his shoulder. He was listed as day to day and
missed subsequent games.[66][67] Bryant said that Howard "worries too much" and "doesn't want to
let anyone down", and urged him to play through the pain when Pau Gasol was sidelined with a torn
plantar fascia.[68] Howard returned the next game after commenting that Bryant was "not a doctor, I'm
not a doctor. That's his opinion."[69]
During the All-Star break, Howard committed to having a better second half. An avid candy lover,
Howard adopted a healthier diet to get into better shape to anchor the Lakers' defense and run
D'Antoni's preferred pick and rolls.[55][70][71] He looked fresher after the break.[72] Still, on
February 23, Howard said he was "not even close" to physically being where he wanted to be. Coach
Mike D'Antoni attributed his conditioning to his difficulty with running the pick and roll with Steve
Nash, a play the coach had expected would be a staple for the team.[55][73] The Lakers were 82 after
the All-Star break, passing Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and
Howard had 10 straight games with 12 or more rebounds while averaging 15.5 points, 14.8 rebounds,
and 2.6 blocks.[74] In his first game back in Orlando on March 12, Howard scored a season-high
39 points and had 16 rebounds in a 10697 Lakers win. Booed throughout the game, he made 25-of-39
free throws, setting Lakers records for free throws made and attempted while tying his NBA record for
attempts.[a] Howard made 16-of-20 free throws when he was fouled intentionally by the Magic.[75]
With Howard anchoring the Lakers defense and his improved overall play,[76] the team made the

playoffs, but they were swept in the opening round 40 by San Antonio. Howard was ejected in Game
4 with over nine minutes left in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul.[77][78]
Howard finished the season with his lowest scoring average since his second year in the NBA, and he
made under 50% of his free throws for the second straight year. However, he was the league leader in
rebounding and ranked second in field goal percentage. Although he was recovering from his back
surgery, he only missed six games all seasonall due to his torn labrum.[79] Howard was named to the
All-NBA Third Team after five consecutive first-team honors.[80] He became a free agent in the
summer, and could receive a maximum contract of five years for $118 million from the Lakers or four
years for $88 million from other teams.[79]

Houston Rockets (2013present)

Howard with then Rockets teammate Chandler Parsons

In early July, Howard met with the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors
and Atlanta Hawks, and on July 5, 2013, announced via Twitter that he intended to sign with the
Rockets.[81] He officially signed with Houston on July 13, 2013, joining James Harden to form a
formidable duo.[82] With the Rockets, he was initially moved from center to power forward to make
room for mer Ak at center. However, with Ak's under performing play and constant injuries,
Howard returned to playing the center position as young forward Terrence Jones moved to power
forward. In his first game for the Rockets in the season opener on October 30, Howard recorded 17
points and a career high-tying 26 rebounds in a 96-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats.[83] Howard
finished the regular season with averages of 18.3 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. During the 2014
playoffs, Howard averaged 26 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, but the Rockets were eliminated by
the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, losing the series 4-2. Howard went on to earn All-NBA
second team honors.[84]
After playing in the Rockets' first 10 out of 11 games to start the 201415 season, Howard missed 11
straight due to a strained right knee[85] before returning to action on December 13 against the Denver
Nuggets. In just under 30 minutes of play, he recorded 26 points and 13 rebounds to help the Rockets
defeat the Nuggets, 108-96. To add to his return, Howard recorded his 10,000th career rebound during
the second quarter.[86] However, on January 31, 2015, Howard was ruled out for a further month due
to persistent trouble with his right knee.[87][88] After setbacks forced him out for a further month and

a total of 26 games, Howard returned to action on March 25 against the New Orleans Pelicans. He
started the game but was held under 17 minutes by coach Kevin McHale and finished with just four
points and seven rebounds in a 95-93 win.[89]

Honors, awards and achievements

Main article: List of career achievements by Dwight Howard
Howard has amassed several NBA and franchise records and awards during his NBA career. He has led
the league in rebounds per game five times, blocks per game twice, and double-doubles three times. He
is also the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000
and 9000 career rebounds, and the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding and
blocks. Following Howard's 200910 season, he became the first NBA player ever to lead the league in
total rebounds for five consecutive seasons. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's record of four from
195960196263, and again from 196566196869. He became the first player to lead the league in
rebounding and blocks in consecutive seasons, and was also the first player ever to lead the league in
rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage in the same season. On April 18, 2011, Howard won the
NBAs Defensive Player of the Year Award, becoming the first player in league history to have won the
award in three consecutive seasons. From the 200708 season through the 201213 season, Howard led
the league in defensive rebounds, a league record.

NBA career statistics

Legend
GP Games played
GS Games started
FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage
RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game
BPG Blocks per game
PPG Points per game
Led the league

MPG
FT%
SPG
Bold

Minutes per game

Free throw percentage
Steals per game
Career high

Regular season
Year
200405
200506
200607
200708
200809
200910
201011
201112
201213
201314

Team
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
L. A. Lakers
Houston

GP
82
82
82
82
79
82
78
54
76
71

GS
82
81
82
82
79
82
78
54
76
71

MPG
32.6
36.8
36.9
37.7
35.7
34.7
37.5
38.3
35.8
33.7

FG%
.520
.531
.603
.599
.572
.612
.593
.573
.578
.591

3P%
.000
.000
.500
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.167
.286

FT%
.671
.595
.586
.590
.594
.592
.596
.491
.492
.547

RPG
10.0
12.5
12.3
14.2
13.8
13.2
14.1
14.5
12.4
12.2

APG
.9
1.5
1.9
1.3
1.4
1.8
1.4
1.9
1.4
1.8

SPG
.9
.8
.9
.9
1.0
.9
1.4
1.5
1.1
.8

BPG
1.7
1.4
1.9
2.1
2.9
2.8
2.4
2.1
2.4
1.8

PPG
12.0
15.8
17.6
20.7
20.6
18.3
22.9
20.6
17.1
18.3

Year
Team
201415 Houston
Career
All-Star

GP
41
809
8

GS
41
808
6

MPG
29.8
35.6
23.3

GS
4
10
23
14
6
4
6
67

MPG
41.8
42.1
39.3
35.5
43.0
31.5
38.5
38.9

FG%
.593
.579
.642

3P%
.500
.104
.154

FT%
.528
.573
.450

RPG
10.5
12.7
8.8

APG
1.2
1.5
1.5

SPG
.7
1.0
.6

BPG
1.3
2.1
1.1

PPG
15.8
18.1
12.1

Playoffs
Year
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2013
2014

Team
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
Orlando
L.A. Lakers
Houston
Career

GP
4
10
23
14
6
4
6
67

FG%
.548
.581
.601
.614
.630
.619
.547
.594

3P%
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000

FT%
.455
.542
.636
.519
.682
.444
.625
.584

RPG
14.8
15.8
15.3
11.1
15.5
10.8
13.7
14.1

APG
1.8
.9
1.9
1.4
0.5
1.0
1.8
1.4

SPG
.5
.8
.9
.8
.7
.5
.7
.8

BPG
1.0
3.4
2.6
3.5
1.8
2.0
2.8
2.7

PPG
15.3
18.9
20.3
18.1
27.0
17.0
26.0
20.3

United States national team

Howard at the 2008 Olympics

Howard was named on 5 March 2006 to the 20062008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team
program.[1] As the team's regular starting center, he helped lead the team to a 50 record during its preWorld Championship tour, and subsequently helped the team win the bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA
World Championship.[1] During the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, Howard was on the team
which won its first nine games en route to qualifying for the finals and a spot for the 2008 Olympics.
[90] He started in eight of those nine games, averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg and led the team in shooting .
778 from the field.[91] In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points as the USA
defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.[92]
On June 23, 2008, Howard was named as one of the members of the 12-man squad representing the
United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.[93] With Howard starting as center, Team USA
won all of its games en route to the gold medal, breaking their drought of gold medals dating back to
the 2000 Olympics.[94] Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.

[95]

Player profile

Howard in 2013
Howard led the NBA in rebounding from 2007 to 2010, and again from 2012 to 2013. Howard's
rebounding is in part facilitated by his extraordinary athleticism; his running vertical leap was tested at
39.5 inches in 2011, rare for a player of his size (6'11").[96][97] He demonstrated this skill in the 2007
Slam Dunk Contest, where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson while
slapping a sticker onto the backboard at 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) high.[98] The sticker showed an image of
his own smiling face with a handwritten "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13," a paraphrase of
Philippians 4:13.[99] Howard's leaping reach of 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) is the highest documented in NBA
history, 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than Shaquille O'Neal's previous record of 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m).[96] As of
April 2013, Howard's career average of 12.9 rebounds per game (in the regular season) ranked 12th in
NBA history.[100]
Howard's abilities and powerful physique have drawn attention from fellow NBA All-Stars. Tim
Duncan once remarked in 2007: "[Howard] is so developed... He has so much promise and I am glad
that I will be out of the league when he is peaking."[101] Kevin Garnett echoed those sentiments:
"[Howard] is a freak of nature, man... I was nowhere near that physically talented. I wasn't that gifted,
as far as body and physical presence."[101] Subsequent to a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs,
Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala said: "It's like he can guard two guys at once. He can
guard his guy and the guy coming off the pick-and-roll, which is almost impossible to do... If he gets
any more athletic or jumps any higher, they're going to have to change the rules."[7] As early as
December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Howard to be the most dominant center in the
NBA.[102]
While many sports pundits have been rating Howard as one of the top young prospects in the NBA

since 2006,[97][103][104] Howard has some weaknesses in his game. Offensively, his shooting range
remains limited; he is also mistake-prone, having led the NBA in total number of turnovers in the
200607 season.[105] Like many centers, he has a low free throw conversion percentage.[8] As a
result, he is often a target of the Hack-a-Shaq defense and is annually among the league leaders in free
throw attempts. During the 200708 regular season, Howard led the NBA with 897 free throw attempts
while shooting only 59% from the free throw line.[106] Also in that season, outside of layups and
dunks, his shooting percentage was only 31.6%.[23] In the 200809 season, he led the NBA again with
849 free throw attempts and in 200910, he was second in the NBA with 816.

Life outside of basketball

Public image
Before he was drafted in 2004, Howard said that he wanted to use his NBA career and Christian faith to
"raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world".[107] He has stated he believes in
reaching out to his community and fans and thus contributes substantially in the field of philanthropy.
[3] An avid listener of Gospel music, he attends the Fellowship of Faith Church when he is back home
in Atlanta and is involved and active with the youth programs at the church.[108] Together with his
parents, Howard also established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. in 2004.[109] The Foundation
provides scholarships for students who want to attend his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian
Academy, and grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida.
[109] The Foundation also organizes summer basketball camps for boys and girls, and together with
high school and college coaches and players, fellow NBA players are invited to be on hand at the camp.
[110] For his contributions in the Central Florida community, Howard received in 2005 the Rich and
Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award.[108] Within the NBA itself, Howard has participated in
several NBA "Read to Achieve" assemblies encouraging children to make reading a priority.[108] In
November 2009, the center was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public
Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work.[111] In 2009, Howard, along with several
other NBA players, joined the Hoops for St. Jude charity program benefitting the St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital.[112]
Elsewhere, Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition that aired April 2, 2006, in which Ty Pennington and his team built a new home and
ministry offices for Sadie Holmes, who operates a social services ministry in the Orlando area.[113] He
made another appearance on the show in the October 9, 2011 episode.
Along with Sam Worthington and Jonah Hill, Howard appeared in a commercial for the video game
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.[114]
Howard, along with Carmelo Anthony and Scottie Pippen, also appeared in the 2013 Chinese film
Amazing, a joint venture between the NBA and Shanghai Film Group Corporation.[115]
In 2014, Epix featured Howard as the focal point of a documentary about his life called "In the
Moment. The film was directed by Ross Greenburg and Executive Producers include Michael D.

Ratner and Matthew Weaver.[116]

Personal life
On November 18, 2007, Howard's ex-girlfriend, former Magic dancer Royce Reed, gave birth to their
son, Braylon.[117] Howard won a defamation judgment against Reed in 2010, when a Florida judge
ruled that she violated a court order prohibiting her from mentioning him in the media.[118] He had
initially sought $550,500,000 in damages, claiming that she had disparaged him through Twitter and
her appearances on the reality television show, Basketball Wives, as the couple's paternity agreement
stipulated a $500 fine for each time she mentioned him in public.[119]
In October 2014, police in Cobb County, Georgia investigated claims by Reed that Howard abused
their son.[120][121] Howard had admitted to hitting Braylon with a belt, as he had also been
disciplined while growing up, and he stated that he did not realize it was wrong.[122][123] Howard
was also involved in a civil case with Reed over custody of their son.[121][123]

Dwight Howard Sucks

By Rob Perez May 12, 2015 5:00 pm ET

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This gentleman goes by the name of Dwight Howard. He is the 7-foot, 275 pound center for the
Houston Rockets. He (and LeBron) are the most dominating physical specimens we have in
professional team sports, yet he continues to do Dwight Howard things when it matters most.
What exactly are Dwight Howard things? Let me explain
This postseason, he is averaging

16.7 Points Per Game

12.8 Rebounds Per Game
2.9 Blocks Per Game
1.3 Steals Per Game (Career High)
1.9 Turnovers Per Game (Career Low)

Those are like REALLY GOOD STATISTICS! YEAH!

However, this is just step one of getting sucked into the Dwight Howard Vortex of Death formally
knows as a Dwightmare.
You see, in basketball, stats can be misleading and in the case of Dwight Howard, they are more
times than not.
Filling up the stat sheet in the NBA can, at times, be the equivalent of showing up to your
job, punching the time-clock, submitting satisfactory work, and being an office culture cancer. The
catch is: your company is losing money out its ass, but, as an employee, youre technically not doing
anything wrong youre just not going above and beyond to help the situation. You stay in your own
lane, you never dare to show initiative, you produce the bare minimum of what you are compensated
for, you go home.

Ladies & Gentlemen: Dwight Howard.

While Dwights Points/Rebounds/Blocks per game are certainly nothing to scoff at the Rockets
require more from their max-contract center. He needs to go above and beyond for the Houston
franchise to have any type of success. This has been the case for every team Dwight has ever been on,
and with the exception of the 2008-2009 season where Howards Orlando Magic made the NBA Finals
you can argue that he has never once lived up to his potential and/or didnt just punch the clock.
Take this year, for example:
Despite recording two career-highs during this postseason, Dwight Howard currently has a:

0.3 VORP (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: 2.0, 2004-2005 Season).
-1.2 BPM (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: 1.0, 2004-2005 Season).
-2.4 OBPM (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: -1.5, 2012-2013 Season).
1.2 DBPM (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: 1.4, 2005-2006 Season).
3.6 WS (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: !!!7.3!!!, 2004-2005 Season).
1.4 OWS (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: 2.8, 2012-2013 Season).
2.2 DWS (Playoff Career Low. Previous Playoff Career Low: 3.5, 2004-2005 Season).
23.3% USG Rating

VORP = Value of Replacement player: a box score estimate of the 100 points per team possessions that
a player contributed above a replacement-level player, translated to an average team.
BPM = Box Plus/Minus: a box score estimate of the 100 points per possession that a player
contributed above a league-average player, translated to an average team.
OBPM = Offensive Box Plus Minus: a box score estimate of the offensive 100 points per possession
that a player contributed above a league-average player, translated to an average team.
DBPM = Defensive Box Plus Minus: a box score estimate of the defensive 100 points per possession
that a player contributed above a league-average player, translated to an average team.
WS = Win Shares, An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player
OWS = Offensive Win Shares, An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a players offense
DWS = Defensive Win Shares, An estimate of the number of wins contributed by a players defensive
USG = Usage Percentage, An estimate of team plays used used by a player while he was on the floor.
The numbers speak for themselves. Dwight Howard is having a historically bad playoffs by his own
standards. We havent seen impact/advanced metrics numbers this poor for Howard since he was 19years old popping his playoff cherry in 2004-2005. What makes it even worse is that 23.3% of the
time Dwight is on the floor, he is touching the ball and/or involved in the final outcome of the play.
Thus, he is not only sucking approximately 1 out of every 4 possessions the Rockets have the ball,

he is dragging the entire team down with him into his whirlpool of IDGAF and \_()_/ .
There is no stronger evidence of this than Sunday night, Game 4 of the Western Conference SemiFinals vs. the Los Angeles Clippers.
Howard fouled out in 18 minutes, scored a whopping seven points, shot one-of-six from the free throw
line, and recorded a +/- of -28 MINUS TWENTY EIGHT!!!!! in EIGHTEEN minutes of play!!
Do you understand how difficult -28 in 18 minutes is to accomplish in todays NBA? Even the New
York Knicks have to at least try to be this futile.
What didnt pop up in the box score is Dwights general awfulness, associated with what feels like 1out-of-every-2 playoff games Howard shows up for.
Here he is experiencing some playoff-intensity contact, and getting tossed around by DeAndre
Jordan like a rag doll

Object2

Which made Dwight whine to the refs and complain like Gloria when Vince Vaughn wont agree to
accompany her family to the vacation home in Wedding Crashers, leading to a technical foul and
being called a B*tch by Matt Barnes.

Object3

Which leads to his patented dirty foul when things are going poorly

Object4

and ultimately the Dwightmare special: A soft foul call against him (its the NBA, it happens to
everyone, bro) that ultimately leads to his ejection for complaining/condescendingly throwing the ball
back to the ref.

Object5

And then of course, the world-famous Dwight postgame interview where he just doesnt say a single
word and/or answers open-ended questions with no.

Good thing theres no precedence with Howard regarding any of this stuff or anything.

Object7

Long story short: You are what you are, Dwight. A perennial superstar who should be the most
physically dominating big man in basketball since Shaquille ONeal. This is as good of a compliment
as you will ever get from me because you are THAT GOOD. The tools, the fundamentals, the
athleticism, the physique its all there; anyone who has ever watched basketball can agree that you
could single-handedly revolutionize the game with your physicality, and go down in the history books
as one of the best players ever
My question, as it is EVERY year, is: Do you want to?

Dwight Howard considers himself a champion

and Superman, but really hes just Bizzaro
2015/05/28 5:21 pm 010 0 comments
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Object9

Author:

Stuart Leung
Tags:
Andrew Bogut Dwight Howard Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets NBA Orlando Orlando Magic
Steph Curry Stephen Curry

I just cant write enough

about Dwight Howard lately; he provides so much fodder that inspires me to wield my internet pen.

Howard doesnt inspire in the same way that Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving
get me excited to type on my keyboard, but more like how do I say this the exact opposite of it.

Instead of being in awe of Howards skill set or effort, his on-court behavior is so infuriating and his
decisions are so mind-boggling that I actually am beginning to believe that theres something wrong
with Dwight; perhaps theres impules he cant control.
Game five of the Western Conference Finals was no less frustrating to watch. Howard put on a
impressive display of bellyaching, whining, and lashing out.
Heres a fine pass from Howard that he clearly overthrows Jason Terry and Josh Smith, yet finds a
way to blame them for his miscue.

Object11

The stakes were high and Howard was focused (at least in the first quarter) so when things didnt go his
way, he was at his most petulant:
When (Howard) shot 41 percent from the free-throw line during the playoffs one of the
worst clips ever he got chippy when Leandro Barbosa fouled him. Pathetic. When the
NBA opted not to suspend him for Game 5 against the Warriors after an unnecessary and
blatant foul from Game 4, he rewarded the league with a forearm shiver from a screen to
Andre Iguodala in the waning moments of a loss.

To top it off, Howard received another technical foul last night, his seventh, which means that Howard
would have automatically been suspended the next game. If the Rockets were to have won game five,
that means Howard would have had to sit out game six. Back to the Huffington Post:
Think about that for a moment. This is not a one-time mistake. This is a trend for a star
player masquerading as a superstar who clearly doesnt value winning as much as he does
serving his own personal interest: an inflated checkbook and a severely bruised ego.

And what an ego it is! During the post game interviews with the media, Howard shared this fantastical
passage that could only be described as originating from Bizzaro World, the planet that Supermans
doppelganger and arch enemy Bizzaro was born:
I will continue to push myself to the limit and remember that no matter how the season
ends, I am still a champion
Whens the next train back to Metropolis, Superman? First off, youre not a champion in this context.
Your fans can talk about titles and awards and medals obtained in past competitions, but youre being
interviewed after your team lost the NBA conference finals, which is the series before the
championship of a league youve never won a championship in.

Secondly, anyone thats played a sport in their life or has paid any attention to a Rockets game can see
that Dwight Howard is not battling his heart out or pushing yourself to the limit.
If Howard was pushing himself to the limit, hed have more post moves, hitting more free throws,
blocking more shots, as well as not being out-rebounded by Steph Curry. Dwight Howard would be the
next level center everyone predicted him to be eight years ago in Orlando.
Basically, wed have the Superman-Dwight Howard, but instead we have Bizzaro-Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard overpowers short-handed

Bucks to lift Magic into playoffs in OT
3/16/2011 - Milwaukee Bucks Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic
43-26
93
Final/OT
89

Milwaukee Bucks
26-41
ORL
MIL

1 2 3 4 OT T
23 23 15 18 14 93
14 23 27 15 10 89
Box Score
Play-By-Play

Associated Press
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MILWAUKEE -- Even though Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic clinched a playoff berth with
their effort on Wednesday night, the performance left a lot for them to ponder.
"We did about everything wrong we could do," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Another game with
19 turnovers, we didn't make any free throws, we couldn't stop them. But we got out with a win."
Howard had 31 points and 22 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 93-89 overtime victory over the
Milwaukee Bucks to wrap up a winning five-game road trip.
"The only thing that matters is we got a win," Howard said. "Are we satisfied with the way we won the

game? No, but we won the game. That's all that matters."
Orlando tried to give this one away in lots of different ways before Hedo Turkoglu came through in
overtime with eight of his 19 points to salvage a victory even though the Bucks were missing center
Andrew Bogut due to a migraine headache.
"We didn't imagine playing in overtime tonight," Turkoglu said. "They had a lot of movement and
energy out there, but in the end we just knew how to execute better, made some big plays, hit some big
shots and put the game away."
The Magic went 20 of 35 from the free throw line, with Howard tying a career high with 24 attempts.
He made only 13 of them. The misses, as well as two bad plays by Jameer Nelson down the stretch,
nearly cost Orlando.
Brandon Jennings scored 23 points and John Salmons scored 20 of his 22 in the second half and
overtime.
Orlando finished the trip 3-2 and saved one of its best rebounding efforts for the end, grabbing 10
offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and overtime as Milwaukee lost rookie Larry Sanders and Jon
Brockman due to foul trouble.
Turkoglu made a key jumper in the corner with a minute left, Earl Barron missed one and Nelson added
a basket of his own to give Orlando a 91-87 lead with 24 seconds left.
Salmons answered with a layup, but Turkoglu made two free throws for the final margin.
"Turkoglu played huge for them in the overtime. He really didn't do too much during the game, but
when overtime came, he knocked down a bunch of big shots for them," Jennings said. "We just couldn't
convert."
Orlando could've wrapped up the game in a back-and-forth fourth quarter, but missed seven free-throw
attempts down the stretch. Ryan Anderson hit the first of two to put the Magic ahead 79-74 with 40
seconds left.
Keyon Dooling answered with two free throws and Nelson made another gaffe with 4.3 seconds left
when he fouled Jennings behind the 3-point line.
"It was close," Van Gundy said. "We wanted to foul him only if he put it on the floor right on the
dribble. He was a little late, so I thought it was close."
Jennings sunk all three to tie the game and Jason Richardson's 29-footer at the buzzer clanked
harmlessly off the side of the rim to send the game to overtime.
Howard said he felt good about his approach at the free-throw line, even though he missed so many and
realized that the game should've been put away long before the extra period.
"I know for myself, everything was in and out or it looked good, it just didn't go in," Howard said.
"Every time I step to the line, it felt good. But sometimes, the results are not the way we want them."

The results have been against Milwaukee all season. The Bucks have been the worst-shooting, lowestscoring team in the NBA and had appeared briefly to shake out of their season-long slump with a threegame winning streak.
But Milwaukee scored a franchise-low 56 points in a 31-point loss to Boston on Sunday and then fell
110-85 in Atlanta, shooting 37.1 percent over the two-game skid.
It looked like more of the same.
Milwaukee missed 14 straight shots and committed three turnovers over a 7 1/2-minute stretch as
Orlando used a 17-1 run to take a lead that reached 14 in the first half and had the Magic looking
relaxed.
At one point during a timeout, Orlando guard Chris Duhon joined in the fun with his own shimmy
when the in-house entertainment asked fans to dance to "Teach Me How to Dougie."
Duhon's moves drew giggles at the end of the bench, but Salmons and Milwaukee started the second
half hot as it turned out to be no laugher for Orlando. In the end, Milwaukee came up short again.
"It's not that we haven't moved the ball, it's that we're not getting anything from it," Bucks coach Scott
Skiles said. "We've got to be really sharp with our execution and make good decisions. There has been
too much tape where we have guys open and we're just not seeing them."
Game notes
Magic G J.J. Redick (lower abdominal strain) missed his fourth straight game. ... Van Gundy is keeping
quiet about NBA Commissioner David Stern. When Van Gundy was asked if he'd learned any lessons
from his back-and-forth with Stern, Van Gundy said: "I'm not allowed to comment on that. I guess
that's what I've learned."