An overview of the childhood and early education of Dwight Howard, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
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.
On December 8, 1985, Dwight David Howard II was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1995, Kevin Garnett's decision to enter the NBA draft directly out of high school partly inspired Dwight Howard's decision to do the same in 2004.
In 2004, Dwight Howard received several awards including 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.
Starting in 2004 with ESPN NBA 2K5, Dwight Howard began appearing in the NBA 2K series of basketball simulation video games.
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.
In 2011, Dwight Howard played himself on an episode of The Suite Life on Deck, appearing alongside fellow NBA players Deron Williams and Kevin Love.
On January 31, 2012, Dwight Howard was honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans.
On April 19, 2012, Dwight Howard's agent announced that Howard would undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, causing him to miss the rest of the 2011-12 season and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2014, Epix featured Dwight Howard as the central figure in a documentary about his life called "In the Moment".
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 March 27, 2020, Melissa Rios, the mother of Dwight Howard's son David, passed away following an epileptic seizure. David was with Howard at his home in Georgia at the time.
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 his 37th birthday in 2022, Dwight Howard raised over NT$3 million with a charitable auction and visited schools to inspire students.
In 2023, Dwight Howard finished third on the reality competition show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
On September 4, 2024, Dwight Howard began competing on the thirty-third season of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Daniella Karagach.
In 2024, Dwight Howard appeared in the "Taipei" episode of Netflix's Somebody Feed Phil, discussing his charity work and cultural experiences in Taiwan while enjoying local cuisine.