Dwight Howard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dwight Howard

Howard with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022
Free agent
Center
Personal information
Born	(1985-12-08) December 8, 1985 (age 39) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
High school	Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Atlanta, Georgia)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Pro career	2004–present
Career history
2004–2012	Orlando Magic
2012–2013	Los Angeles Lakers
2013–2016	Houston Rockets
2016–2017	Atlanta Hawks
2017–2018	Charlotte Hornets
2018–2019	Washington Wizards
2019–2020	Los Angeles Lakers
2020–2021	Philadelphia 76ers
2021–2022	Los Angeles Lakers
2022–2023	Taoyuan Leopards
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2020) 8× NBA All-Star (2007–2014) 5× All-NBA First Team (2008–2012) All-NBA Second Team (2014) 2× All-NBA Third Team (2007, 2013) 3× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2009–2011) 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2012) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2008) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2005) 5× NBA rebounding leader (2008–2010, 2012, 2013) 2× NBA blocks leader (2009, 2010) NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2008) T1 League Most Valuable Import (2023) All-T1 League First Team (2023) T1 League All-Defensive First Team (2023) T1 League rebounds leader (2023) T1 League All-Star (2023) T1 League All-Star Game Most Famous Player (2023) T1 League All-Star Game MVP (2023) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2004) McDonald's All-American Game Co-MVP (2004) First-team Parade All-American (2004) Mr. Georgia Basketball (2004)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Team competition FIBA World Championship Bronze 2006 Japan Team competition FIBA Americas Championship Gold 2007 Las Vegas Team competition

Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is an American professional basketball player. People call him "Superman" because he is so athletic. He won an NBA championship and was an All-Star eight times. He was also named to the All-NBA Team eight times and the All-Defensive Team five times. Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.

Howard plays as a center. He went to Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for high school. He decided to go straight to the NBA instead of college. In the 2004 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic picked him first overall. Howard set many records with the Magic. He led them to the 2009 NBA Finals. After eight seasons, Howard joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. He played for the Lakers three different times and won the NBA Finals in 2020. He also played for the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers.

After the 2021–22 NBA season, Howard moved to Taiwan. He signed with the Taoyuan Leopards in the T1 League. He was named a T1 All-Star during his time there.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Dwight Howard was born in Atlanta. His parents, Dwight Sr. and Sheryl Howard, were both involved in sports. His father works for the Georgia State Patrol and is the athletic director at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. This school has one of the best high school basketball programs. His mother played on the first women's basketball team at Morris Brown College.

Dwight became serious about basketball when he was about nine years old. Even though he was big, he was fast and could play the guard position. At Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, he mostly played as a power forward. He averaged 16.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 6.3 blocks per game. In his senior year, Howard led his team to a 31–2 record and the 2004 state title. He averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks, and 3.5 assists per game.

In 2004, he was known as the best American high school basketball player. He won many awards, including the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award. He was also a co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game.

Professional Basketball Career

Orlando Magic: Becoming a Star (2004–2012)

After high school, Howard decided to enter the 2004 NBA draft. He was inspired by his hero Kevin Garnett, who also went straight to the NBA. The Orlando Magic picked Howard first overall. He chose jersey number 12, which was the reverse of Garnett's number 21.

Howard joined a Magic team that had only won 21 games the season before. They had also lost their star player, Tracy McGrady. But Howard made a big difference right away. In his first season, he averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds. He set several NBA records. He became the youngest player to average a double-double (scoring double digits in two stats) in a season. He was also the youngest to get at least 10 rebounds in a season. Howard was the first player straight from high school to start all 82 games in his rookie year. He was chosen for the 2005 NBA Rookie Challenge and the NBA All-Rookie Team.

For his second season, Howard gained 20 pounds of muscle. His coach, Brian Hill, wanted him to become a full-time center. Hill pushed Howard to improve his offense and defense. On November 15, 2005, Howard scored 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. He became the youngest player to get 20 points and 20 rebounds in one game. He averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Despite his improvements, the Magic missed the playoffs again.

Howard and Jameer Nelson in 2008

In the 2006–07 NBA season, Howard played all 82 games again. On February 1, 2007, he was picked for his first NBA All-Star team. He scored a career-high 35 points on April 14. Howard led the Magic to the 2007 NBA Playoffs. They were swept by the Detroit Pistons in the first round. He averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

Howard continued to play well in the 2007–08 NBA season. He helped the Magic have their best season yet. He was a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. On February 16, 2008, he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He did amazing dunks, even wearing a Superman cape for one! Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years. They were the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs. Howard's strong play helped Orlando win their first-round series. He was named to the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Leading the Magic to the NBA Finals (2008–2011)

Howard in 2008, playing against JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards

The 2008–09 NBA season started well for Howard. He was leading the league in blocks. He got a record 3.1 million votes for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. Howard led Orlando to another division title and the third seed for the 2009 NBA Playoffs. In the playoffs, he helped the Magic defeat the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–2. Howard scored a playoff career-high 40 points in the final game. This led Orlando to the NBA Finals for the first time in 14 years.

In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers won the series. Howard had 21 rebounds and a Finals record of 9 blocks in one game. For the season, Howard became the youngest player to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and the All-NBA First Team.

Howard in 2010, playing against future teammate Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers

In the 2009–10 NBA season, the Magic started strong. Howard was again named an All-Star starter. The Magic won their third straight division title. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals again but lost to the Celtics. Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second year in a row. He was the first player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice.

In the 2010–11 NBA season, Howard had career highs in points and shooting percentage. He became the first player to win Defensive Player of the Year for three seasons in a row. He led the league in double-doubles and averaged 14.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. The Magic lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Howard scored a playoff career-high 46 points in Game 1.

Last Season in Orlando (2011–2012)

The 2011–12 NBA season was shorter due to a lockout. Howard wanted to be traded to another team, like the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks. He felt the Magic were not doing enough to build a championship team. He later agreed to stay but still wanted changes to the team.

On January 12, 2012, Howard tried an NBA record 39 free throws in a game. He made 21 of them and finished with 45 points and 23 rebounds. On January 24, 2012, Howard became the Magic's all-time leading scorer.

In March 2012, Howard agreed to stay with the Magic through the 2012–13 NBA season. He had a back injury and missed the rest of the 2011–12 season. He also missed the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Los Angeles Lakers: First Stint (2012–2013)

Howard with the Lakers in 2013

On August 10, 2012, Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He had surgery on his back in April and needed time to recover. He had only four weeks of training before the season started. Howard was still getting back into shape during the season.

In January 2013, Howard hurt his right shoulder. The Lakers were not playing well. Howard felt he wasn't getting the ball enough. He also felt that Kobe Bryant was shooting too much. Bryant told Howard to play through the pain, but Howard said Bryant was "not a doctor."

Howard with the Lakers in 2013

During the All-Star break, Howard started eating healthier to get in better shape. The Lakers started playing better and made the playoffs. In his first game back in Orlando, Howard scored 39 points and had 16 rebounds. He was booed by the crowd but made 25 of 39 free throws. The Lakers made the playoffs but were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

Howard finished the season leading the league in rebounding. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team. He became a free agent and the Lakers offered him a big contract.

Houston Rockets (2013–2016)

Howard with the Rockets in 2014, alongside teammate Chandler Parsons

On July 13, 2013, Howard signed with the Houston Rockets. He teamed up with James Harden. Howard averaged 18.3 points and 12.2 rebounds. He earned All-NBA Second Team honors. In the 2014 NBA Playoffs, Howard played well, but the Rockets lost in the first round.

In the 2014–15 Houston Rockets season, Howard missed many games due to a right knee injury. He played only 41 games. The Rockets won their division and reached the Western Conference Finals. They lost to the Golden State Warriors.

On November 4, 2015, Howard had 23 points and 14 rebounds against the Orlando Magic. He made all 10 of his shots. On December 26, he reached 15,000 career points. On January 18, 2016, Howard scored 36 points and tied his career high with 26 rebounds. He had 10 double-doubles in a row. In June 2016, Howard decided not to continue his contract with the Rockets and became a free agent.

Atlanta Hawks (2016–2017)

Howard with the Hawks in 2017

On July 12, 2016, Howard signed a three-year contract with his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks. He was the NBA's active leader in rebounds and blocked shots. In his first game for the Hawks, he grabbed 19 rebounds. This was the most rebounds for any player in their Hawks debut. On November 2, he scored a season-high 31 points. On February 2, he had a great game with 24 points and 23 rebounds against the Rockets.

Charlotte Hornets (2017–2018)

On June 20, 2017, the Hawks traded Howard to the Charlotte Hornets. He became the first Charlotte player since 2007 to have four games in a row with 15 or more rebounds. On March 15, he scored a season-high 33 points against the Atlanta Hawks. On March 21, Howard had 32 points and a team-record 30 rebounds against the Nets. He was only the eighth player in league history to have a "30–30 game" (30 points and 30 rebounds). He was suspended for one game after getting his 16th technical foul of the season. Howard finished the season with a team-record 53 double-doubles. He also became one of six players to average a double-double in his first 13 seasons.

On July 6, 2018, Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He was then released by the Nets.

Washington Wizards (2018–2019)

Howard with the Washington Wizards in 2018

On July 12, 2018, Howard signed with the Washington Wizards. He missed training camp and the first seven games due to a back injury. He played in nine games in November. Then he missed the rest of the season after having back surgery. In March 2019, it was also revealed he had a hamstring issue. On April 18, 2019, Howard decided to play a second season with the Wizards.

On July 6, 2019, Howard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. On August 24, 2019, the Grizzlies released him.

Los Angeles Lakers: Second Stint (2019–2020)

On August 26, 2019, Howard signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers again. He rejoined his old team. He agreed to a contract that allowed the Lakers to release him if needed. This showed he would accept any role the team wanted.

During the season, Howard shared playing time with starting center JaVale McGee. On January 13, 2020, Howard scored a season-high 21 points and had 15 rebounds. In the Western Conference finals, Lakers coach Frank Vogel started Howard to play against Nikola Jokić. Howard had 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Lakers won the series and advanced to the 2020 NBA Finals. They won the championship against the Miami Heat. This was Howard's first NBA championship.

Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2021)

On November 21, 2020, the Philadelphia 76ers signed Howard. He averaged 7 points and 8.4 rebounds. Howard played 69 games for the Sixers. He was suspended for one game after getting into a small fight, which resulted in his 16th technical foul of the year. The 76ers won their division but lost in the Conference Semifinals to the Atlanta Hawks.

Los Angeles Lakers: Third Stint (2021–2022)

Howard signed with the Los Angeles Lakers again on August 6, 2021. He averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds. He played 60 games and started 27 due to injuries to other players. Even with a strong team, the Lakers did not make the playoffs. Many experts called this one of the biggest underachievements in NBA history.

Taoyuan Leopards (2022–2023)

Howard with the Taoyuan Leopards in 2022

On November 7, 2022, Howard signed with the Taoyuan Leopards in the T1 League in Taiwan. The league usually limits how much foreign players can earn. But they made an exception for Howard, allowing him to earn over $1 million. They believed he would make the league better and attract more fans.

On November 19, Howard played his first game for the Leopards. He scored 38 points, had 25 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 blocks. Just one day later, after playing two games back-to-back, Howard had a knee injury. He said he wasn't used to playing over 90 minutes in 26 hours anymore. His knee injury came back after more back-to-back games. The team decided he would mostly play in home games to protect his knee.

In February 2023, Howard was named a T1 All-Star. He was also named the All-Star Game Most Famous Player. He scored 37 points and was named All-Star game MVP. He was the league's top rebounder for the 2022–23 T1 League season. In May 2023, Howard was selected to the T1 League All-Defensive First Team. He was also chosen for the All-T1 League first team. He won the Most Valuable Import award for the T1 League for the 2022–23 T1 League season.

Later Years

After the season, Howard talked about playing in Australia and the Philippines. However, he did not join those leagues. On March 1, 2024, Howard briefly signed with the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico, but he never played for them.

Howard has also played on exhibition teams. He joined Strong Group for a tournament in Dubai in January 2024, winning a silver medal. On May 30, 2024, he joined the Taiwan Mustangs.

National Team Career

Howard at the 2008 Olympics

On March 5, 2006, Howard was chosen for the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team. As the team's starting center, he helped them win a bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

During the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, Howard helped the team win all nine of their games. This qualified them for the 2008 Olympics. He started in eight of those games, averaging 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points. The USA team defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.

On June 23, 2008, Howard was named to the 12-man team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. With Howard as the starting center, Team USA won all their games. They earned the gold medal, continuing a streak of gold medals for the USA. Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in the tournament.

Player Profile

Howard is 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) tall and weighs 265 pounds (120 kg). He plays the center position. He led the NBA in rebounding from 2007 to 2010, and again from 2012 to 2013. Howard is an amazing rebounder because he is incredibly athletic. His running vertical leap was tested at 39.5 inches (100 cm) in 2011, which is rare for someone his size.

He showed his skills in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest. He completed an alley-oop dunk from his teammate Jameer Nelson. During the dunk, he slapped a sticker onto the backboard at 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) high. The sticker had his smiling face and a message: "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13".

Other NBA All-Stars have praised Howard's abilities. Tim Duncan said in 2007 that Howard was "so developed" and had "so much promise." Kevin Garnett called Howard "a freak of nature." After a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Andre Iguodala said, "It's like he can guard two guys at once." In 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe called Howard the most dominant center in the NBA. Early in his career, many experts thought Howard was one of the best young players in the NBA.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2004–05	Orlando	82	82*	32.6	.520	.000	.671	10.0	.9	.9	1.7	12.0
2005–06	Orlando	82*	81	36.8	.531	.000	.595	12.5	1.5	.8	1.4	15.8
2006–07	Orlando	82*	82*	36.9	.603	.500	.586	12.3	1.9	.9	1.9	17.6
2007–08	Orlando	82*	82*	37.7	.599	.000	.590	14.2*	1.3	.9	2.1	20.7
2008–09	Orlando	79	79	35.7	.572	.000	.594	13.8*	1.4	1.0	2.9*	20.6
2009–10	Orlando	82*	82*	34.7	.612*	.000	.592	13.2*	1.8	.9	2.8*	18.3
2010–11	Orlando	78	78	37.5	.593	.000	.596	14.1	1.4	1.4	2.4	22.9
2011–12	Orlando	54	54	38.3	.573	.000	.491	14.5*	1.9	1.5	2.1	20.6
2012–13	L.A. Lakers	76	76	35.8	.578	.167	.492	12.4*	1.4	1.1	2.4	17.1
2013–14	Houston	71	71	33.7	.591	.286	.547	12.2	1.8	.8	1.8	18.3
2014–15	Houston	41	41	29.8	.593	.500	.528	10.5	1.2	.7	1.3	15.8
2015–16	Houston	71	71	32.1	.620	.000	.489	11.8	1.4	1.0	1.6	13.7
2016–17	Atlanta	74	74	29.7	.633	.000	.533	12.7	1.4	.9	1.2	13.5
2017–18	Charlotte	81	81	30.4	.555	.143	.574	12.5	1.3	.6	1.6	16.6
2018–19	Washington	9	9	25.6	.623	—	.604	9.2	.4	.8	.4	12.8
2019–20	L.A. Lakers	69	2	18.9	.729	.600	.514	7.3	.7	.4	1.1	7.5
2020–21	Philadelphia	69	6	17.3	.587	.250	.576	8.4	.9	.4	.9	7.0
2021–22	L.A. Lakers	60	27	16.2	.612	.533	.658	5.9	.6	.6	.6	6.2
Career		1,242	1,078	31.8	.587	.214	.567	11.8	1.3	.9	1.8	15.7
All-Star		8	6	23.3	.642	.154	.450	8.8	1.5	.6	1.1	12.1

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007	Orlando	4	4	41.8	.548	—	.455	14.8	1.8	.5	1.0	15.3
2008	Orlando	10	10	42.1	.581	—	.542	15.8	.9	.8	3.4	18.9
2009	Orlando	23	23	39.3	.601	.000	.636	15.3	1.9	.9	2.6	20.3
2010	Orlando	14	14	35.5	.614	—	.519	11.1	1.4	.8	3.5	18.1
2011	Orlando	6	6	43.0	.630	.000	.682	15.5	0.5	.7	1.8	27.0
2013	L.A. Lakers	4	4	31.5	.619	—	.444	10.8	1.0	.5	2.0	17.0
2014	Houston	6	6	38.5	.547	—	.625	13.7	1.8	.7	2.8	26.0
2015	Houston	17	17	33.8	.577	—	.412	14.0	1.2	1.4	2.3	16.4
2016	Houston	5	5	36.0	.542	.000	.368	14.0	1.6	.8	1.4	13.2
2017	Atlanta	6	6	26.1	.500	—	.632	10.7	1.3	1.0	.8	8.0
2020	L.A. Lakers	18	7	15.7	.684	.500	.556	4.6	.5	.4	.4	5.8
2021	Philadelphia	12	0	12.4	.533	.000	.600	6.3	.7	.2	.5	4.7
Career		125	102	31.6	.589	.143	.548	11.8	1.2	.8	2.0	15.3

Other Media Appearances

Howard has appeared on TV shows and in video games.

• He was a special guest on the ABC show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in 2006.
• Howard competed as "Octopus" on The Masked Singer in 2021.
• He has been in many NBA 2K and NBA Live video games. He was even on the cover of NBA Live 10.
• In 2011, he played himself on an episode of The Suite Life on Deck.
• In 2023, he finished third on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
• On September 4, 2024, Howard competed on Dancing with the Stars.

Personal Life

Howard has approximately 20 snakes as pets. He has appeared on the Animal Planet show Tanked twice. He also owns a farm in north Georgia with cows, hogs, turkeys, and deer. He grows vegetables on his property in Suwanee, Georgia.

See also

In Spanish: Dwight Howard para niños

• List of NBA franchise career scoring leaders
• List of NBA career rebounding leaders
• List of NBA career blocks leaders
• List of NBA career turnovers leaders
• List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
• List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
• List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders
• List of NBA career games played leaders
• List of NBA career playoff blocks leaders
• List of NBA annual rebounding leaders
• List of NBA annual blocks leaders
• List of NBA single-season rebounding leaders
• List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
• List of NBA single-game rebounding leaders