Career Timeline of Dwight Howard: Major Achievements and Milestones
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.
2004: Declared for NBA Draft
In 2004, Dwight Howard chose to forego college and declared for the NBA draft.
2004: Drafted First Overall by Orlando Magic
In 2004, Dwight Howard was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic after forgoing college.
2004: Established Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc.
In 2004, Dwight Howard, along with his parents, established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. to support his philanthropic endeavors.
2004: Debut in NBA 2K Series
Starting in 2004 with ESPN NBA 2K5, Dwight Howard began appearing in the NBA 2K series of basketball simulation video games.
November 15, 2005: Youngest 20/20 Player
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.
2005: Selected to All-Rookie Team
In 2005, Dwight Howard was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie season.
2005: Debut in NBA Live Series
Starting in 2005 with NBA Live 2005, Dwight Howard began appearing in the NBA Live series of basketball simulation video games.
April 2, 2006: Appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
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.
2006: Played in all 82 games
During the 2006-07 season, Dwight Howard played in all 82 regular-season games, marking his third consecutive season doing so.
2006: Sophomore Team Selection
In 2006, Dwight Howard was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break.
February 1, 2007: First NBA All-Star Selection
On February 1, 2007, Dwight Howard received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad.
December 2007: Declared Most Dominant Center
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.
2007: Continued impressive numbers
In the 2007-08 season, Dwight Howard continued posting impressive numbers.
February 16, 2008: NBA Slam Dunk Contest Winner
On February 16, 2008, Dwight Howard won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
2008: League Leader in Blocks Per Game
During the 2008-09 season, Dwight Howard began leading the league in blocks per game.
November 2009: Jefferson Awards Finalist
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.
2009: Defensive Player of the Year Award
In 2009, Dwight Howard became the youngest player ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
2009: Led Magic to NBA Finals
In 2009, Dwight Howard led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals.
2009: Praised by Andre Iguodala
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.
2009: Magic Won 17 of First 21 Games
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.
January 21, 2010: All-Star Game Selection
On January 21, 2010, Dwight Howard was named as the starting center for the East in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
2010: Led League in Double-Doubles
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.
2011: Requested trade to Nets
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.
2011: Trade Demand
In 2011, Dwight Howard demanded a trade to the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks.
2011: Playoff Career Highs
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.
January 12, 2012: Free Throw Record
On January 12, 2012, Dwight Howard attempted an NBA regular season record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors.
January 24, 2012: Magic's All-Time Scoring Leader
On January 24, 2012, Dwight Howard became the Orlando Magic's all-time scoring leader.
March 15, 2012: Howard Waived Opt-Out Right
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.
August 10, 2012: Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
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.
2012: Traded to Los Angeles Lakers
In 2012, after eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
July 13, 2013: Signed with the Houston Rockets
On July 13, 2013, Dwight Howard signed with the Houston Rockets, joining James Harden.
June 22, 2016: Declined Player Option
On June 22, 2016, Howard declined his $23 million player option for the 2016-17 season and became an unrestricted free agent.
July 12, 2016: Signed with the Atlanta Hawks
On July 12, 2016, Dwight Howard signed a three-year, $70 million contract with the Atlanta Hawks.
June 20, 2017: Traded to Charlotte Hornets
On June 20, 2017, Dwight Howard was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
July 6, 2018: Traded to and Waived by Brooklyn Nets
On July 6, 2018, Dwight Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and subsequently waived immediately upon being acquired.
July 12, 2018: Signed with the Washington Wizards
On July 12, 2018, Dwight Howard signed with the Washington Wizards.
2018: Final Appearance in NBA Live Series
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.
April 18, 2019: Exercised Player Option
On April 18, 2019, Dwight Howard exercised his $5.6 million player option to play a second season with the Wizards.
July 6, 2019: Traded to Memphis Grizzlies
On July 6, 2019, Dwight Howard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
August 24, 2019: Waived by the Grizzlies
On August 24, 2019, Dwight Howard was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
August 26, 2019: Signed with Los Angeles Lakers
On August 26, 2019, Dwight Howard signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, reuniting with his former team.
November 21, 2020: Signed with Philadelphia 76ers
On November 21, 2020, Dwight Howard signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
2020: NBA Champion
In 2020, Dwight Howard won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
August 6, 2021: Signed with the Los Angeles Lakers
On August 6, 2021, Dwight Howard signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for another stint.
2021: Signed with Taoyuan Leopards
After the 2021-22 NBA season, Dwight Howard moved overseas and signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League.
2021: Final Appearance in NBA 2K Series
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.
November 7, 2022: Signed with Taoyuan Leopards
On November 7, 2022, Dwight Howard signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League in Taiwan.
2022: Charitable Auction on 37th Birthday
On his 37th birthday in 2022, Dwight Howard raised over NT$3 million with a charitable auction and visited schools to inspire students.
March 1, 2024: Brief Signing with Mets de Guaynabo
On March 1, 2024, Howard briefly signed with the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, but did not play for them.
May 30, 2024: Joined Taiwan Mustangs
On May 30, 2024, Howard joined the Taiwan Mustangs of The Asian Tournament (TAT).
