History of Dwight Howard in Timeline
Dwight Howard, nicknamed "Superman," is a former American professional basketball player. He achieved significant recognition in the NBA, including being an NBA champion, an eight-time All-Star, and eight-time All-NBA Team selection. Furthermore, he was a five-time All-Defensive Team member and secured the Defensive Player of the Year award three times, solidifying his reputation as a dominant force in the league.
1962: Wilt Chamberlain's Record
In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the NBA regular-season record for free throws attempted in a game with 34.
December 8, 1985: Dwight Howard's Birth
On December 8, 1985, Dwight David Howard II was born. He would later become a professional basketball player known as "Superman".
1995: Inspired by Kevin Garnett's NBA Draft Decision
In 1995, Kevin Garnett's decision to forgo college and enter the NBA draft inspired Dwight Howard's decision to do the same in 2004.
2004: Established Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc.
In 2004, Dwight Howard established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. with his parents.
2004: High School Successes
In 2004, Dwight Howard led his team to a 31-2 record and the state title, while averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks and 3.5 assists per game. He was recognized as the best American high school basketball player, receiving 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. He was also co-MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game.
2004: Selected First Overall by Orlando Magic in 2004 NBA Draft
In 2004, Dwight Howard was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA draft. He took the number 12 for his jersey, in part because it was the reverse of Kevin Garnett's 21 when he played for Minnesota.
2004: NBA Draft and Orlando Magic Selection
In 2004, Dwight Howard was selected first overall in the NBA draft by the Orlando Magic after forgoing college.
2004: 2004 Olympics
In the 2004 Olympics, the streak of gold medals for Team USA was interrupted.
2004: NBA 2K5 Appearance
Starting with 2004's ESPN NBA 2K5, Dwight Howard appeared in every entry of the NBA 2K series of basketball simulation video games up until 2021's NBA 2K22.
November 15, 2005: Youngest Player with 20+ Points and 20+ Rebounds
On November 15, 2005, Dwight Howard recorded 21 points and 20 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the youngest player ever to reach those numbers in the same game.
2005: NBA Live 2005 Appearance
Dwight Howard appeared in every NBA Live entry from 2004's NBA Live 2005 onwards until the series was canceled in 2018 following NBA Live 19.
2005: Impactful Rookie Season
In 2005, Dwight Howard finished his rookie season with an average of 12 points and 10 rebounds, setting several NBA records. He was selected to play in the NBA Rookie Challenge and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie Team.
2005: Dunks streak starts
In 2005-2006 season, Dwight Howard started his dunks streak.
March 5, 2006: Howard Named to USA Basketball Team
On March 5, 2006, Dwight Howard was named to the 2006–2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program.
April 2, 2006: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Appearance
On April 2, 2006, Dwight Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
2006: Selected to the Sophomore Team in the Rookie Challenge
In 2006, Dwight Howard was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break. He averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for the season.
2006: Third Consecutive Season
In the 2006-07 season, Dwight Howard played in all 82 regular-season games for the third consecutive season.
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 for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
December 2007: Howard Declared Most Dominant Center
In December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Dwight Howard the most dominant center in the NBA.
2007: Slam Dunk Contest
In 2007, Dwight Howard completed an alley oop dunk from Jameer Nelson, while slapping a sticker onto the backboard at 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) high during the Slam Dunk Contest.
2007: Improved Numbers
In the 2007–08 season, Dwight Howard continued posting impressive numbers and helped the Magic have their best season to date.
February 16, 2008: NBA Slam Dunk Contest Win
On February 16, 2008, Dwight Howard won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, performing innovative dunks, including donning a Superman cape.
June 23, 2008: Named to Olympic Team
On June 23, 2008, Dwight Howard was named to the 12-man squad representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
2008: Leading league in blocks
In the 2008-09 season, Howard began by 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.
2009: NBA Playoffs
After a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala praised Dwight Howard's defensive abilities.
2009: Led Magic to NBA Finals and Won Defensive Player of the Year Award
In 2009, Dwight Howard led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, becoming the youngest player ever to win the award.
2009: Led Orlando Magic to NBA Finals
In 2009, Dwight Howard led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals.
2009: Magic Strong Start
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 starter
On January 21, 2010, Howard was named as the starting center for the East in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
2010: Led the NBA in Rebounding
From 2007 to 2010, Dwight Howard led the NBA in rebounding.
2010: Defamation Judgment
In 2010, Dwight Howard won a defamation judgment against Royce Reed, the mother of his oldest child Braylon, after she violated a court order prohibiting her from mentioning him in the media.
2010: Defensive Player of the Year
In the 2010-11 season, Howard posted career highs in points and field goal percentage. He became the first player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors for three consecutive seasons.
2011: The Suite Life on Deck Appearance
In 2011, Dwight Howard played himself on an episode of The Suite Life on Deck alongside fellow NBA players Deron Williams and Kevin Love.
2011: Vertical Leap Tested
In 2011, Dwight Howard's running vertical leap was tested at 39.5 inches (100 cm).
2011: Leading league in double-doubles
In 2011, Howard led the league in double-doubles and also averaged 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and a career-high 1.3 steals.
2011: Trade Demand
In 2011, after the lockout ended, Dwight Howard demanded a trade to the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks, stating that he felt the Magic organization was not doing enough to build a championship contender.
2011: Howard Asked To Be Traded
On March 15, 2012, on the day of the trading deadline for the 2011–12 NBA season, it was revealed that Howard had previously asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets.
January 12, 2012: NBA Record 39 Free Throw Attempts
On January 12, 2012, Dwight Howard attempted an NBA regular season record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's record of 34 set in 1962. He made 21 of the attempts, finishing with 45 points and 23 rebounds.
January 24, 2012: Magic's All-Time Scoring Leader
On January 24, 2012, Dwight Howard became the Orlando Magic's all-time scoring leader.
January 31, 2012: Honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans
On January 31, 2012, Dwight Howard was honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans.
March 15, 2012: Waived Opt-Out Right
On March 15, 2012, Dwight Howard waived his right to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and committed to stay with the Magic through the 2012–13 season.
April 19, 2012: Howard to Undergo Back Surgery
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 remainder of the 2011–12 season and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
August 10, 2012: Howard Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
On August 10, 2012, Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a deal involving the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets.
2012: Signed Five-Year Extension
Following his breakout campaign, in 2007, Howard signed a five-year, $80 million extension that would keep him in Orlando through the 2012–13 season.
2012: Led the NBA in Rebounding
From 2012 to 2013, Dwight Howard led the NBA in rebounding.
2012: Traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
In 2012, Dwight Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers after playing eight seasons with the Orlando Magic.
January 4, 2013: Howard Injures Right Shoulder
On January 4, 2013, Dwight Howard injured his right shoulder during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. At the midpoint of the season, the Lakers had a disappointing record of 17–24.
July 13, 2013: Howard Signs with the Houston Rockets
On July 13, 2013, Dwight Howard signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Houston Rockets, joining James Harden to form a duo.
2013: Led the NBA in Rebounding
From 2012 to 2013, Dwight Howard led the NBA in rebounding.
2013: Negative Locker Room Presence
In a 2013 interview, Dwight Howard called his former Orlando Magic teammates a "team full of people no one wanted". A Bleacher Report article asserted he had "extinguished all bridges" with the Magic franchise.
October 2014: Abuse Allegations
In October 2014, police in Cobb County, Georgia, investigated claims by Royce Reed that Dwight Howard abused their son. Howard admitted to hitting Braylon with a belt but was not charged.
2014: In the Moment Documentary
In 2014, Epix featured Dwight Howard as the focal point of a documentary about his life called In the Moment.
2014: Free Palestine tweet during the 2014 Gaza war
In January 2025, Dwight Howard stated on the GAUDs Show that he was told by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to remove a "Free Palestine" tweet during the 2014 Gaza war. The NBA refuted this claim.
November 4, 2015: Howard's Performance Against Orlando Magic
On November 4, 2015, Dwight Howard scored 23 points and had 14 rebounds against the Orlando Magic, shooting 10-of-10 and becoming the first Rocket to make 10 or more field goals without a miss since Yao Ming in 2009.
2015: Inappropriate Behavior
During a 2015 game, Dwight Howard was caught on video grabbing the genitals of teammate Isaiah Canaan.
January 18, 2016: Howard Ties Career High in Rebounds
On January 18, 2016, Dwight Howard had 36 points and tied a career high with 26 rebounds in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. This marked his 10th straight double-double, the league's longest active streak at the time.
June 22, 2016: Howard Declines Player Option
On June 22, 2016, Dwight Howard declined his $23 million player option for the 2016–17 season, becoming an unrestricted free agent.
July 12, 2016: Howard Signs with Atlanta Hawks
On July 12, 2016, Dwight Howard signed a three-year, $70 million contract with his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.
June 20, 2017: Howard Traded to Charlotte Hornets
On June 20, 2017, the Hawks traded Dwight Howard, along with the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee and the 41st overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
July 6, 2018: Howard Traded to Brooklyn Nets
On July 6, 2018, Dwight Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, a 2021 second-round draft pick, and cash considerations, but was waived immediately after being acquired.
July 12, 2018: Howard Signs with Washington Wizards
On July 12, 2018, Dwight Howard signed a two-year, $10.9 million contract with the Washington Wizards.
2018: NBA Live 19 Appearance
Dwight Howard appeared in every NBA Live entry from 2004's NBA Live 2005 onwards until the series was canceled in 2018 following NBA Live 19.
2018: Negative Reputation
In 2018, NBC News reported Dwight Howard's time with multiple teams devolved into interpersonal strife. The Ringer published a piece calling him "almost certainly the least popular player in the NBA".
April 18, 2019: Howard exercises player option with Wizards
On April 18, 2019, Dwight Howard exercised his $5.6 million player option to play a second season with the Wizards.
July 6, 2019: Howard Traded to Memphis Grizzlies
On July 6, 2019, Dwight Howard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for forward C. J. Miles.
August 24, 2019: Howard Waived by Grizzlies
On August 24, 2019, Dwight Howard was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
August 26, 2019: Howard Re-Signs with Los Angeles Lakers
On August 26, 2019, Dwight Howard signed a $2.6 million veteran's minimum contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, reuniting him with his former team, replacing DeMarcus Cousins.
2019: Engagement to Te'a Cooper
In 2019, Dwight Howard dated WNBA basketball player Te'a Cooper and the pair became engaged.
2019: Lakers Warning
When the Lakers signed Dwight Howard in 2019, the team reportedly warned him he would be dismissed if he engaged in inappropriate behavior.
January 13, 2020: Howard Scores Season-High Points
On January 13, 2020, Dwight Howard scored a season-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and got a season-high 15 rebounds for the Lakers.
March 27, 2020: Death of Melissa Rios
On March 27, 2020, Melissa Rios, the mother of Dwight Howard's son David, died following an epileptic seizure.
November 21, 2020: Howard Signs with Philadelphia 76ers
On November 21, 2020, Dwight Howard signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $2,564,753.
2020: NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers
In 2020, Dwight Howard won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers during one of his stints with the team.
July 2021: Incident at Howard's Residence
In July 2021, an incident at Dwight Howard's Georgia residence led to a lawsuit against him in July 2023.
August 6, 2021: Howard Signs with Los Angeles Lakers
On August 6, 2021, Dwight Howard signed a veteran's minimum contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for $2.6 million.
2021: Signs with Taoyuan Leopards
After the 2021-22 NBA season, Dwight Howard moved overseas and signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League.
2021: NBA 2K22 Appearance
Dwight Howard appeared in every entry of the NBA 2K series of basketball simulation video games up until 2021's NBA 2K22.
2021: Parted ways with Te'a Cooper
In 2021, Dwight Howard and Te'a Cooper parted ways.
November 7, 2022: Howard Signs with Taoyuan Leopards
On November 7, 2022, Dwight Howard, unable to secure a spot in the NBA, signed with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League in Taiwan.
2022: Charitable Auction
On his 37th birthday in 2022, Dwight Howard raised over NT$3 million (US$97,969) with a charitable auction benefiting CountryEDU Charity Foundation and the Good Shepherd Social Welfare foundation.
February 2023: Howard Named T1 League All-Star and MVP
In February 2023, Dwight Howard was named an All-Star for the T1 League, the All-Star Game Most Famous Player, and participated in the Three-Point Contest, where he scored 37 points and was named All-Star Game MVP.
May 10, 2023: Howard Selected to T1 League All-Defensive First Team
On May 10, 2023, Dwight Howard was selected to the T1 League All-Defensive First Team for the 2022–23 season.
July 2023: Lawsuit for Assault and Battery
In July 2023, Dwight Howard was sued for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. Howard denied the allegations.
2023: Special Forces: World's Toughest Test
In 2023, Dwight Howard finished third on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
March 1, 2024: Howard Signs with Mets de Guaynabo
On March 1, 2024, Dwight Howard briefly signed with the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, but never played for them.
May 30, 2024: Howard Joins Taiwan Mustangs
On May 30, 2024, Dwight Howard joined the Taiwan Mustangs of The Asian Tournament (TAT).
August 2024: Never Voted in Election
In August 2024, Dwight Howard revealed on the Way up with Angela Yee show that he has never voted in a United States election, stating that he wanted to focus on his family first.
August 2024: Lawsuit Dismissed
In August 2024, the lawsuit against Dwight Howard for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment was dismissed with prejudice.
September 4, 2024: Dancing with the Stars
On September 4, 2024, Dwight Howard competed on the thirty-third season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Daniella Karagach. They were eliminated on November 12.
2024: Engagement to Amy Luciani
In 2024, Dwight Howard announced his engagement to rapper and reality star Amy Luciani.
2024: Somebody Feed Phil Appearance
In 2024, Dwight Howard appeared as a guest in the "Taipei" episode of Netflix docu-series Somebody Feed Phil.
January 2025: Marriage to Amy Luciani
In January 2025, Dwight Howard and Amy Luciani married in a private ceremony.
January 2025: Claim About NBA Censorship
In January 2025, Dwight Howard stated on the GAUDs Show that he was told by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to remove a "Free Palestine" tweet during the 2014 Gaza war. The NBA refuted this claim.
July 2025: Divorce Filing
In July 2025, Amy Luciani filed for divorce from Dwight Howard, citing that the marriage was "irretrievably broken".
September 2025: Inside
In September 2025, Dwight Howard participated in the first American season of the British reality TV series, Inside.
December 2025: Tweet on Military Service
In December 2025, Dwight Howard tweeted that all American citizens should be required to complete one year of military service.
2025: Howard to be Inducted into Hall of Fame
In 2025, Dwight Howard was chosen to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as an individual player and as a member of the 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team.
2025: Election to Basketball Hall of Fame
In 2025, Dwight Howard was elected twice to the Basketball Hall of Fame as an individual player and member of the Redeem Team.
Mentioned in this timeline
Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...
McDonald's is an American multinational fast food restaurant chain As...
James Harden is a professional basketball player for the Los...
The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team based...
Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and...
The Brooklyn Nets are a professional basketball team based in...
Trending
17 minutes ago Abigail Spanberger to Deliver Democratic Response Focusing on Affordability and Key Policies.
1 hour ago Sean Payton to relinquish play-calling duties to Davis Webb in 2026.
1 hour ago Taylor Decker Announces Return to Lions for 2026 Season, Future Plans
2 hours ago Axon Enterprise Stock Surges on Positive Q4 Results and Analyst Recommendations.
2 hours ago Team USA Men's Hockey triumph: Hughes' golden goal and revisited Olympic dreams.
1 day ago Candace Owens embroiled in Erika Kirk cheating rumors and pastor trafficking claims.
Popular
Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist politician and...
Susan Rice is an American diplomat and public official prominent...
Barack Obama the th U S President - was the...
Michael Joseph Jackson the King of Pop was a highly...
Bernie Sanders is a prominent American politician currently serving as...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...