TIMELINE
2008-09
Dwight has led the Magic to one of their best starts to a season in the 20-year history of the franchise, rolling to 33 wins in the first 41 games. Dwight is enjoying his finest season ever in the NBA, averaging a team-high 20.2 points and he leads the NBA in both rebounding (14.1) and blocked shots (3.2). He is trying to become just the fifth player in NBA history to lead the league in blocked shots and rebounding in the same season. The others are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1975-76), Bill Walton (1976-77), Hakeem Olajuwon (1989-90) and Ben Wallace (2001-02). Dwight also ranks first in the NBA in double-doubles (29), fourth in field goal percentage (57.5 percent), seventh in free throws (233), first in offensive rebounds per game (4.4), second in offensive rebounds (163) and fourth in Efficiency Rating (27.22). This season, Dwight has scored at least 30 points four times and 20 points 18 times. He’s grabbed at least 20 rebounds three times and double-digit rebounds 30 times. One of the finest games of Dwight’s career came in Oklahoma City on Nov. 12. Dwight battered the Thunder for 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocked shots for the first triple-double of his career. The 10 blocked shots were the most Dwight has ever recorded in a game.
2007-08
Dwight’s greatness on the basketball court started to take form with his finest season in the NBA. He averaged a career-best 20.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.13 blocks a game, becoming Orlando’s go-to player on both ends of the floor. For a fourth consecutive season, Dwight played in all 82 games. Dwight announced himself as a national star at the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans. He electrified the crowd with an array of jaw-dropping dunks, including one in which he smacked the ball off the backboard with one hand and dunked with the other (Dwight’s favorite all-time dunk). But it was the high-flying dunk in which Dwight donned a blue Superman shirt and a red, flowing cape that had fans marveling for months. That dunk, in which Dwight took off from just inside the foul line, earned Dwight a perfect score (50) and sealed the dunk championship. At 6-foot-11, Dwight became the tallest player ever to win the dunk contest. Dwight became the youngest rebounding champion in NBA history (22 years, 130 days), easily eclipsing Denver’s Marcus Camby. He also became the youngest player ever to reach both 3,000 and 4,000 rebounds in a career, breaking the records previously set by Shaquille O’Neal. He had a NBA-best 69 double-doubles, including a streak of 15 in a row at one point during the season. Nowhere was Dwight more dominant than on the glass. He had an incredible eight games in which he recorded at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He had 20 rebounds 11 times, 15 rebounds 35 times and 10 rebounds 72 times. Dwight scored a career-high 39 points on Nov. 20 at Seattle, pounding the Sonics inside with 12 of 17 shooting and 15 of 20 shooting from the free throw line. As good as he was in the regular season, Dwight was even better in the playoffs. He recorded three games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds against Toronto, allowing the Magic to win their first playoff series since 1996. In two rounds of playoffs against Toronto and Detroit, Dwight averaged 18.9 points, 15.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocked shots. Dwight capped off 2008 with a gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Dwight started all eight wins for Team USA and averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Olympic champions.
2006-07
Dwight helped the Magic end a four-year playoff drought with a solid performance on both ends of the floor. Showing the signs of his promising offensive games blossoming, Howard averaged 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a game. He ranked second in the league in field goal percentage (60.3 percent), third in rebounds and 12th in blocked shots. Dwight was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in November and was the Player of the Week on Nov. 26. He led the Magic in scoring 33 times, in rebounding 74 times and in assists seven times. He had four games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He set a then-career high with 35 points against the Philadelphia 76ers in April. Dwight made the Eastern Conference all-star team for the first time in his career and he certainly didn’t disappoint. He had 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, thrilling the crowd with an array of dunks off lob passes. Dwight recorded another career highlight in 2007 when he converted a game-winning alley-oop dunk over San Antonio’s Tim Duncan as time expired. Howard’s play was later immortalized as one of the 20 best in Magic history. Dwight closed the regular season by becoming the youngest player ever (20 years, 347 days) to grab 2,000 rebounds in his career.
2005-06
Dwight began to show signs of why the Magic drafted him first overall in 2004 and clearly made him the cornerstone of the franchise. He averaged 15.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.40 blocks in 36.8 minutes a game. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounds, sixth in field goal percentage and 23rd in blocked shots. Dwight was one of just 28 NBA players to appear in all 82 games. He recorded 60 double-doubles (second in the NBA), including a stretch of seven in a row at one point.
Dwight became the youngest player in NBA history (19 years, 342 days) to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game with 21 points and 20 rebounds on Nov. 15 against Charlotte. He had 20 points 18 times and 15 rebounds on 26 occasions. On Nov. 19 against Chicago he grabbed his 1,000th career rebounding, making his the youngest ever to that mark. On Feb. 10 of that season, Dwight set two Magic franchise records by grabbing 12 rebounds in the first quarter, seven of which came off the offensive glass.
2004-05
Dwight became the first overall player selected in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Magic. He certainly didn’t disappoint, becoming a unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team. Also, he finished third in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year. He played and started in all 82 games for Orlando, averaging 12.0 points and team-highs in rebounding (10.0) and blocked shots (1.66).
That made him the youngest player in NBA history to average a double-double over a season. He was one of just eight players in the NBA to average a double-double and the first rookie (along with Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor) to average a double-double since Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning accomplished the feat in 1992-93. He became the first player in NBA history directly out of high school to start in all 82 games during his rookie season. He shot a team-leading .520 (352-677) from the field and ranked eighth in the NBA in rebounding, 10th in field goal percentage and 19th in blocked shots. Among rookies, he ranked third in scoring, second in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage, sixth in steals, third in blocked shots and third in minutes played.
In Dwight’s first game as a pro on Nov. 3 against Milwaukee he had 12 points, a game-high-tying 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 38 minutes. Dwight made his mark as a dominant rebounder almost immediately. He led (or tied) the team in rebounding a team-best 55 times. He recorded double figures in rebounding 43 times, including career-high 20 rebounds three times. He became the youngest player in NBA history with 20-plus boards in a game on Dec. 1 vs. Toronto. He also had 20 rebounds on Feb. 10 vs. Atlanta, becoming the first rookie since Tim Duncan in 1997-98 with multiple 20-plus rebound games in a rookie season. He also became first NBA rookie since 1991-92 (Shaquille O’Neal, 1992-93, 12 games) to record 10-plus rebounds in first nine regular-season games of his career. Dwight appeared in the 2005 got Milk? Rookie Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, tallying 14 points, five rebounds and a game-high three blocks in 19 minutes.
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER
Dwight finished his career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy with 2,146 points, 1,728 rebounds and 811 blocked shots in 129 games (16.6 ppg., 13.4 rpg., 6.29 blkpg.). He won the 2004 Naismith Award, signifying the nation’s top high school player. He also captured the Morgan Wooten High School Player of the Year Award, the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award And the McDonald’s National High School Player of the Year honor. He was named to the PARADE Magazine All-American Team, earned Co-MVP of the 2004 McDonald’s High School All-American game and played in the EA Sports Roundball Classic (16 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three blocks) and the Jordan Capital Classic (18 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks). He was Georgia’s Mr. Basketball in 2004. He led SACA to the Class A Georgia state championship as a senior (2003-04), after averaging 25.0 ppg., 18.0 rpg., 3.5 apg. and 8.0 blkpg. As a junior, Dwight averaged 20.0 ppg., 15.5 rpg. and 4.5 blkpg., while leading SACA to a 30-3 record and a runner-up finish in the state’s Class A division.
Career Highlights
» NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2005
» Led NBA in total dunks for the 2005-2006 season
» NBA regular-season leader, total rebounds: 2006 (1,022)
» Youngest player in NBA history to record at least 20 rebounds in one game (20, December 1, 2004 vs. Toronto Raptors)
» Youngest player in NBA history to average a double-double in points (12.0) and rebounds (10.0) for a season (2004-05)
» Youngest player in NBA history to average at least 10 rebounds (10.0) for a season (2004-05) First player in NBA history directly out of high school to start all 82 games during his rookie season (2004-05) Youngest player in NBA history (19 years, 342 days) with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in one game (21 points and 20 rebounds, November 15, 2005 vs. Charlotte Bobcats)
» Career-high 26 rebounds vs. Philadelphia 76ers on April 15, 2006
» Named to USA Senior Men National Team for 2006 FIBA World Championship
BIOGRAPHY
Orlando Magic center Dwight David Howard Jr. is not just a basketball player. He is one of the most charismatic and thus popular basketball player on earth. His muscular physique resembles a 6’11 bronze statue of Apollo. His resume belies his 24 years of age while reading like the first chapter of a sports monopoly. The home grown Atlanta, Georgian has pillared his brand on ferocious dunks and electric smiles.
His exuberance is as vital to fans, setting a new NBA All-Star voting record in his name (3,151,181 – the most votes ever in the history of All-Star) as is his physicality. His statistics are as benevolent as his philanthropy. Simply put, Mr. Howard is the most attractive combination of power and personality the NBA has seen in decades.
After procuring Naismith, Gatorade and McDonalds player of the year honors in high school, Howard decided to forgo college to pursue his lifelong NBA dream. The result: a career’s worth of basketball achievement squeezed into his initial six seasons. Four All-NBA team selections, four All-Star appearances (three starts), consecutive NBA Defensive Player of The Year awards (youngest ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocks) and an Olympic Gold medal. Since his rookie season Dwight has amazingly and consistently averaged a double-double of points and rebounds––accumulating 23 20-and-20 outings and once a pinnacle 32 points 25 rebounds and 10 blocks (largest stat line in 20 years).
Not a single post player today can match Dwight Howard’s dominance. Houston Rockets center and Chinese superstar Yao Ming has failed to near his productivity. Dwight has snatched the torch (and Superman moniker) from the hands of the world’s last grand center, Shaquille O’Neal. The greatest player to ever wear a Rockets uniform, Akeem Olajuwan, showers #12 with praise. New York Knickerbocker legendary center and current Orlando Magic assistant coach, Patrick Ewing feels his young protégé’s stats are just the tip of his maximum talent’s proverbial iceberg. “I put in a lot of work to get to the NBA,” says Howard. “So I figure if I do everything I need to do every day in the weight room and during practice I should be a dominant player.”
Dwight Howard’s statistics separate him from his peers but it’s his personality that places him in a marketable class by himself. When Dwight dunks over an opponent, instead of snarling, he runs up court with an ear-to-ear smile. When asked by Slam Dunk Contest rival Nate Robinson to assist his attempt as a prop, Dwight obliged, exhibiting a rare brand of sportsmanship. Most wouldn’t envision the League’s biggest and baddest as a smiling nice guy doing the latest dance during pre-game shoot-arounds. What they don’t understand is that the statuesque anomaly is not only taking his game serious, he’s taking life serious. “I’m just blessed to be alive,” says Howard. “My mom lost seven kids. I was supposed to be the eighth kid to die. The doctor told her I wasn’t gonna make it either. I’m just happy to have life and I’m gonna show that every day. What they don’t understand is the more I smile the more the fans smile.”
Once drafted Howard established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation (DDHF), which provides scholarships for underprivileged children who desire to attend his alma mater Southwest Academy and grants for children interested in attending Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando.
Like his smile, Dwight’s unique star shines worldwide. Despite his age, he is recognized as an international ambassador for today’s NBA. Off-court he consistently tours the globe in efforts to lengthen the League’s charitable reach. On court he helped return USA to Olympic glory in Beijing as a prestigious member of 2008’s Gold Medal earning “Redeem Team.”
When Howard isn’t traveling across the United States visiting children’s hospitals or promoting literacy via the NBA’s “Read To Achieve” program, he’s trekking wherever he’s needed on Earth. In an effort to help at-risk youth around the world, the gentle giant launched the Dwight Howard Fund (DHF) in April 2010. DHF will begin its work by targeting youths in Haiti that were victims in the 2010 earthquake and will support programs that use sport and recreation to help kids overcome the trauma of the earthquake, while promoting education. Placing smiles on the faces of today’s youth while empowering them to reach for the stars is a constant part of Dwight’s life. Despite a busy schedule, he remains passionate and committed to providing his time and face to organizations, such as the Big Brothers Big Sisters, where he recently became National Ambassador.
There isn’t a deed more important to Dwight then his outreach to children. He takes pride and truly enjoys being an ambassador for the NBA. His yearly trips to Africa, China, Taiwan and India have given him the opportunity to share his athletic talent and leave young people chanting his name. His popularity in China rivals hometown hero Yao Ming.
The mission is to lift the already towering Dwight Howard brand to newer heights so that more charitable work can be accomplished. This is why he’s recently committed himself to a second childhood passion of his: acting. He slipped into the role of Orlando Magic locker room entertainer as effortlessly as he earned his class clown reputation in school. It’s no wonder he’s already landed his first motion picture role with the spring 2010 Common and Queen Latifah-starring movie Just Wright and received thespian advisory from the likes of Larenz Tate, Martin Lawrence and Tyler Perry.
The NBA Hall-of-Fame is inevitable for Dwight Howard. Becoming an icon will be an even richer achievement. He’ll have even greater basketball success––individually (NBA MVP) and collectively (NBA Championship). He’ll achieve this with thunderous dunks, unforeseen grace and an unapologetic smile as bright as his intended home in Hollywood. In the meantime Dwight David Howard is simply the franchise giant of the NBA and superman to children in need. “I have a great opportunity to become one of the best big men to ever play the game. But I want my legacy to be bigger and better off the court than it is on the court. Basketball is just a platform for all the great things that I want to do in life.”
