Dwight Howard is a former American professional basketball player, famously nicknamed "Superman." His distinguished career includes an NBA championship, eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA Team honors, five All-Defensive Team selections, and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. He's recognized for his athletic abilities and defensive skills.
On January 12, 2012, Dwight Howard attempted an NBA regular season record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors breaking Wilt Chamberlain's regular-season record of 34 set in 1962.
On December 8, 1985, Dwight David Howard II was born. He would later become a professional basketball player known as "Superman".
In 1995, Kevin Garnett's decision to go directly to the NBA inspired Dwight Howard's decision to do the same in 2004.
In 2004, Dwight Howard chose to forgo college and declared for the NBA draft, where the Orlando Magic selected him first overall. He took the number 12 for his jersey.
In 2004, Dwight Howard chose to forgo college and entered the NBA draft, where he was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic.
In 2004, Dwight Howard led his team to a 31-2 record and the state title, averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks, and 3.5 assists per game as a senior. He received multiple awards, including the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and McDonald's National High School Player of the Year honor.
In 2004, Dwight Howard, along with his parents, established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc.
Starting in 2004 with ESPN NBA 2K5, Dwight Howard appeared in every entry of the NBA 2K series of basketball simulation video games.
On November 15, 2005, Dwight Howard recorded 21 points and 20 rebounds against the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the youngest player ever to achieve this feat.
Dwight Howard led the NBA in dunks for six consecutive seasons, from 2005-06 to 2010-2011.
In 2005, Dwight Howard appeared in every NBA Live entry starting with NBA Live 2005.
In 2005, Dwight Howard was selected to play in the NBA Rookie Challenge and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie Team. He also finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
On March 5, 2006, Dwight Howard was named to the 2006–2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program.
On April 2, 2006, Dwight Howard made a special guest appearance on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, where a new home and ministry offices were built for Sadie Holmes.
At the end of the 2006–07 campaign, Dwight Howard was named to the All-NBA Third Team.
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.
In December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Dwight Howard the most dominant center in the NBA.
Dwight Howard led the NBA in dunks for six consecutive seasons, from 2005-06 to 2010-2011, with a high of 269 dunks in the 2007-2008 season.
In 2007, Dwight Howard participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson while slapping a sticker onto the backboard. The sticker showed an image of his own smiling face with a handwritten "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13".
In the 2007-08 season, Dwight Howard continued posting impressive numbers and helped the Magic have their best season to date. He was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
On February 16, 2008, Dwight Howard won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, receiving 78% of the fan votes by text messaging or online voting. He donned a Superman cape for one of his dunks.
On June 23, 2008, Dwight Howard was named to the 12-man squad representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Dwight Howard led the NBA in dunks for six consecutive seasons, from 2005-06 to 2010-2011, with a high of 269 dunks in the 2007-2008 season.
In the 2008-09 NBA season, after ten games, Dwight Howard was leading the league in blocks per game (4.2).
In November 2009, Dwight Howard was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which recognizes athletes for their charitable work.
After a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala commented on Howard's defensive abilities, stating that he could guard two players at once.
In 2009, Dwight Howard led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals for the first time in 14 years and was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He earned a record 3.1 million votes to earn the starting berth on the Eastern Conference team for the NBA All-Star Game.
In the 2009-10 NBA 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.
In 2010, Dwight Howard led the NBA in rebounding for the fourth consecutive year, continuing his streak from 2007 to 2010.
In 2010, Dwight Howard won a defamation judgment against Royce Reed, the mother of his oldest child, for violating a court order.
In the 2010-11 NBA season, Dwight Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight year.
In 2011, Dwight Howard demanded a trade to the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks, expressing concerns about the Magic organization's ability to build a championship contender.
In 2011, Dwight Howard played himself on an episode of The Suite Life on Deck alongside fellow NBA players Deron Williams and Kevin Love.
In 2011, Dwight Howard's running vertical leap was tested at 39.5 inches (100 cm), highlighting his extraordinary athleticism for a player of his size.
In 2011, before waiving his right to opt out of his contract on March 15, 2012, Dwight Howard had previously asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets.
In the 2010-11 NBA season, Dwight Howard became the first player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors for three consecutive seasons.
On January 12, 2012, Dwight Howard attempted an NBA regular season record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors, making 21 of them. He finished the game with 45 points and 23 rebounds in the Magic's victory.
On January 24, 2012, Dwight Howard became the Orlando Magic's all-time scoring leader.
On January 31, 2012, Dwight Howard was honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans.
On March 15, 2012, Dwight Howard waived his right to opt out of his contract and committed to stay with the Orlando Magic through the 2012-13 season. He had previously asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets.
On April 19, 2012, Dwight Howard's agent announced that he would undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back. As a result, he would miss the remainder of the 2011-12 season and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
On August 10, 2012, Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a deal also involving the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. Howard only had four weeks of training camp and preseason to prepare for the season due to recovering from back surgery.
Following his breakout campaign, Dwight Howard signed a five-year, $80 million extension in 2007 that would keep him in Orlando through the 2012-13 season.
In 2012, Dwight Howard once again led the NBA in rebounding, continuing his dominance in this statistical category.
In 2012, after eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
On January 4, 2013, Dwight Howard injured his right shoulder during the second half of the Lakers' game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
On July 13, 2013, Dwight Howard signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Houston Rockets, joining James Harden. This marked a significant milestone in his career.
In 2013, Dwight Howard described his former Orlando Magic teammates as a "team full of people no one wanted" in an interview, contributing to his reputation as a negative locker room presence. A Bleacher Report article also asserted he "extinguished all bridges" with the Orlando Magic franchise.
In 2013, Dwight Howard led the NBA in rebounding, marking his last year in his second rebounding leadership streak.
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.
During the 2014 Gaza war, Dwight Howard tweeted "Free Palestine", but NBA commissioner Adam Silver instructed him to remove the tweet and apologize.
In 2014, Epix featured Dwight Howard as the focal point of a documentary about his life called In the Moment.
On November 4, 2015, Dwight Howard scored 23 points and had 14 rebounds against the Orlando Magic, achieving a perfect 10-for-10 shooting record. This feat marked him as the first Rocket to achieve 10 or more field goals without a miss since Yao Ming in 2009.
During a 2015 game, Dwight Howard, as a member of the Rockets, was caught on video grabbing the genitals of teammate Isaiah Canaan.
On January 18, 2016, Dwight Howard scored 36 points and tied a career high with 26 rebounds in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. This performance marked his 10th straight double-double, which was the league's longest active streak at the time.
On June 22, 2016, Dwight Howard declined his $23 million player option for the 2016–17 season, becoming an unrestricted free agent.
On July 12, 2016, Dwight Howard signed a three-year, $70 million contract with his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks.
On June 20, 2017, Dwight Howard was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, and a draft pick.
On July 6, 2018, Dwight Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations. He was then immediately waived by the Nets.
On July 12, 2018, Dwight Howard signed with the Washington Wizards on a two-year, $10.9 million contract.
In 2018, NBC News reported that Howard’s time with the Magic, Lakers, and Rockets devolved into interpersonal strife. The Ringer published a piece titled "Everybody (Still) Hates Dwight", calling him "almost certainly the least popular player in the NBA".
In 2018, the NBA Live series was canceled following NBA Live 19.
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 for forward C. J. Miles.
On August 24, 2019, Dwight Howard was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
On August 26, 2019, Dwight Howard signed a $2.6 million veteran's minimum contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, marking his return to the team. He replaced DeMarcus Cousins, who was injured.
In 2019, Dwight Howard became engaged to WNBA basketball player Te'a Cooper.
In 2019, when the Lakers signed Dwight Howard, the team reportedly warned him that he would be dismissed if he engaged in any inappropriate behavior.
On January 13, 2020, Dwight Howard scored a season-high 21 points and secured a season-high 15 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers.
On March 27, 2020, Melissa Rios, the mother of Dwight Howard's son David, died following an epileptic seizure. David was with Howard at his home in Georgia at the time.
On November 21, 2020, Dwight Howard signed a one-year deal worth $2,564,753 with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 2020, Dwight Howard won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
On August 6, 2021, Dwight Howard signed a $2.6 million veteran's minimum contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for a second 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 and Te'a Cooper parted ways.
In 2021, Dwight Howard's last appearance in the NBA 2K series was in NBA 2K22.
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.
In 2022, on his 37th birthday, Dwight Howard raised over NT$3 million (US$97,969) with a charitable auction. Items sold included collectible jerseys and pairs of shoes worn by Howard.
In February 2023, Dwight Howard was named an All-Star for the T1 League and participated in the Three-Point Contest.
On May 10, 2023, Dwight Howard was selected to the T1 League All-Defensive First Team for the 2022–23 season.
In July 2023, a man sued Dwight Howard for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. The lawsuit stemmed from an encounter at Howard's Georgia residence in July 2021.
In 2023, Dwight Howard finished third on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
On March 1, 2024, Dwight Howard briefly signed with the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, but ultimately never played for them.
On May 30, 2024, Dwight Howard joined the Taiwan Mustangs of The Asian Tournament (TAT).
In August 2024, the assault, battery, and false imprisonment lawsuit against Dwight Howard was dismissed with prejudice.
On September 4, 2024, Dwight Howard competed on the thirty-third season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Daniella Karagach.
In 2024, Dwight Howard announced his engagement to rapper and reality star Amy Luciani.
In 2024, Dwight Howard appeared as a guest in the "Taipei" episode of the Netflix docu-series Somebody Feed Phil. During the episode he discussed his charity work and the cultural shock he experienced upon moving to Taiwan.
In January 2025, Dwight Howard married rapper and reality star Amy Luciani in a private ceremony.
In July 2025, Amy Luciani filed for divorce from Dwight Howard, citing that the marriage was "irretrievably broken".
In September 2025, Dwight Howard participated in the first American season of the British reality TV series, Inside.
In 2025, Dwight Howard was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame both as an individual player and as a member of the Redeem Team.
In 2025, Dwight Howard will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, both as an individual player and as a member of the 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team.
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