Basketball veteran Dwight Howard joined the Washington Wizards in July 2018. His highly illustrious professional basketball career dates back to 2004 when he entered the NBA right out of high school. An outstanding high school athlete, Howard won both the Mr. Georgia Basketball and Naismith Prep Player of the Year awards in his senior year (2004). He made it to the big leagues with the first overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, where he had the longest run in his career.
In the middle position, Dwight Howard has made a name for himself as one of the top defenders in the history of the NBA. The veteran baller has won 8 NBA All-Star and 5 All-NBA First Team selections. He led the NBA in 5 seasons on rebounds, was also the block leader in 2 seasons, and is still the only player to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year for 3 consecutive seasons.
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Dwight Howard Biography
Dwight David Howard was born December 8, 1985, in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother Sheryl played college basketball at Morris Brown College in Georgia. His father, Dwight Howard Sr., was also the Sports Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. This is a devout Christian family, and Howard remained true to the faith throughout his teenage years.
Howard received his high school education at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. For most of his highly successful four-year high school career, he played in the position of power striker. In his senior year, he averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks, and 3.5 assists per game, which led the school to a 31-2 record and helped earn the Georgia State Class A title in 2004. He was widely considered the best basketball player in the 2004 class and was named Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year, Gatorade National Player of the Year, and McDonald’s National High School Player of the Year, among others. He was also named co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game 2004 alongside J. R. Smith.
Dwight Howard declared for the 2004 NBA Draft that he would not be able to pursue a college career. He was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic, which marked the beginning of a highly decorated professional basketball career.
Career Stats
Howard impressed the Orlando Magic team right in his first season. He made history as the first NBA player straight out of high school to appear in all 82 games of his rookie season, and with a scoring average of 12 points and 10 rebounds, he became the youngest NBA player to average a double-double in the regular season. In his second season, he was transformed into a full center and finished with a scoring average of 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds, an improvement over his performance in the rookie season.
The NBA star averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in the 2007-08 regular season, helping Magic qualify for the 2007 NBA playoffs, leading the league in all the rebounds, and was also nominated for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, the first of eight consecutive selections (2007-2014). Howard’s first-class performance continued throughout his 8-year tenure at the Orlando Magic. He won 3 consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009-2011), earned 5 consecutive All-NBA First Team selections (2008-2012), led the league in average rebounds (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and also in average blocks (2009, 2010).
Howard’s impressive run with the Orlando Magic ended in August 2012 when he moved to the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA star averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in the 2012-13 season, his first and only season with the Lakers. His performance earned him the NBA All-Star and All-NBA Third Team selection for 2013.
The NBA veteran began a three-year stint at the Houston Rockets in July 2013. In his first season (2013-14) with the team, he performed well, averaging 18.3 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. In the 2014-15 season, he was plagued by several injuries that limited him to only 41 games and he finished the season with 15.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. In his last season at the Houston Rockets, his statistics dropped further to 13.7 points and 11.8 rebounds.
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Howard spent the 2016-17 season with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 13.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game. In June 2017 he was transferred to the Charlotte Hornets in a multiplayer deal, and in his only season with the Atlanta Hawks, he averaged 16.6 points and rebounds per game in 81 appearances. Dwight Howard joined the Washington Wizards in July 2018.
Wife And Kids
Dwight Howard has no wife, as he has never been married in the past. It is known that he has fathered 5 children by as many mothers, although there are unconfirmed claims that he has more children. In 2007 the NBA star welcomed his first child, a son named Braylon with his former girlfriend Royce Reed. Two of his sons Trey and David were both born in 2013. He also has 2 daughters, Jade and Layla. Howard had a rather rocky relationship with some of his baby mothers, but he managed to stay close to each of his children, even though they live in different parts of the country.
Dwight Howard Salary, Net Worth
In July 2018, Dwight Howard signed a two-year contract with the Washington Wizards valued at $10,940,850, while his salary for the 2018-19 season is set at $5,337,000. The NBA veteran can look back on a consistent and successful career spanning well over a decade. Between 2017 and 2018, he earned a whopping $27 million in 2017 and 2018, earning him 58th place on the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes for the period. Thanks to his career earnings and other lucrative benefits, Dwight Howard has accumulated a net worth of $140 million.
