From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Dwight Howard made an impact.
Dwight Howard is a celebrated American professional basketball player, known as "Superman" for his athleticism. His career highlights include an NBA championship, eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA Team recognitions, five All-Defensive Team selections, and three Defensive Player of the Year awards, marking him as one of the dominant centers of his era.
In 2004, Dwight Howard chose to forego college and declared for the NBA draft.
In 2004, Dwight Howard was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic after forgoing college.
In 2004, Dwight Howard, along with his parents, established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. to support his philanthropic endeavors.
Starting in 2004 with ESPN NBA 2K5, Dwight Howard began appearing in the NBA 2K series of basketball simulation video games.
On November 15, 2005, Dwight Howard became the youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and gather 20 or more rebounds in the same game.
In 2005, Dwight Howard was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie season.
Starting in 2005 with NBA Live 2005, Dwight Howard began appearing in the NBA Live series of basketball simulation video games.
On April 2, 2006, Dwight Howard made a special guest appearance on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, assisting in building a new home and ministry offices for Sadie Holmes in Orlando.
During the 2006-07 season, Dwight Howard played in all 82 regular-season games, marking his third consecutive season doing so.
In 2006, Dwight Howard was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break.
On February 1, 2007, Dwight Howard received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad.
In December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Dwight Howard the most dominant center in the NBA, acknowledging his skills and impact on the court.
In the 2007-08 season, Dwight Howard continued posting impressive numbers.
On February 16, 2008, Dwight Howard won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
During the 2008-09 season, Dwight Howard began leading the league in blocks per game.
In November 2009, Dwight Howard was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, recognizing his charitable work and contributions.
In 2009, Dwight Howard became the youngest player ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In 2009, after an NBA Playoffs game, Andre Iguodala praised Howard's defensive abilities, stating he could guard two players at once, highlighting Howard's exceptional athleticism.
In the 2009-10 season, the Magic got off to a strong start, winning 17 of their first 21 games and setting a franchise record.
On January 21, 2010, Dwight Howard was named as the starting center for the East in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
During the 2010-11 season, Dwight Howard became the first player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors for three consecutive seasons.
During the offseason, Howard requested a trade to the Nets, who had relocated to Brooklyn. Howard had previously requested the trade in the 2011-12 season.
In 2011, Dwight Howard demanded a trade to the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks.
In 2011, Dwight Howard had a playoff career-high 46 points and 19 rebounds in Orlando's 103-93 loss to Atlanta in Game 1.
On January 12, 2012, Dwight Howard attempted an NBA regular season record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors.
On January 24, 2012, Dwight Howard became the Orlando Magic's all-time scoring leader.
On March 15, 2012, Dwight Howard waived his right to opt out of his contract and committed to stay with the Magic through the 2012-13 season.
On August 10, 2012, Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal also involving the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets.
In 2012, after eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
On July 13, 2013, Dwight Howard signed with the Houston Rockets, joining James Harden.
On June 22, 2016, Howard declined his $23 million player option for the 2016-17 season and became an unrestricted free agent.
On July 12, 2016, Dwight Howard signed a three-year, $70 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks.
On June 20, 2017, Dwight Howard was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
On July 6, 2018, Dwight Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and subsequently waived immediately upon being acquired.
On July 12, 2018, Dwight Howard signed with the Washington Wizards.
In 2018, Dwight Howard made his final appearance in the NBA Live series with NBA Live 19, totaling 11 games before the series was canceled.
On April 18, 2019, Dwight Howard exercised his $5.6 million player option to play a second season with the Wizards.
On July 6, 2019, Dwight Howard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
On August 24, 2019, Dwight Howard was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
On August 26, 2019, Dwight Howard signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, reuniting with his former team.
On November 21, 2020, Dwight Howard signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
On August 6, 2021, Dwight Howard signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for another stint.
After the 2021-22 NBA season, Dwight Howard moved overseas and signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League.
In 2021, Dwight Howard made his final appearance in the NBA 2K series with NBA 2K22, marking 18 entries in the series and covering his entire NBA career.
On November 7, 2022, Dwight Howard signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League in Taiwan.
On his 37th birthday in 2022, Dwight Howard raised over NT$3 million with a charitable auction and visited schools to inspire students.
On March 1, 2024, Howard briefly signed with the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, but did not play for them.
On May 30, 2024, Howard joined the Taiwan Mustangs of The Asian Tournament (TAT).