Dwight Howard

Dwight David Howard ( born December 8, 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia ) is an American professional basketball player who plays in the U.S. professional league NBA since 2004. Currently, he is with the Houston Rockets under contract. He moved directly from high school ( Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy ) in the NBA and was elected by the Magic in the first place in the NBA Draft 2004. Howard is 2.11 meters tall and plays at the position of the center. His physique and his style of play suggested comparisons to Darryl Dawkins and Shaquille O'Neal.

Childhood and youth

Howard was born as the third of four children of the couple, Dwight Howard, Sr. and Sheryl Howard in a family with marked athletic ability. He got after he was born the nickname "The Miracle Child ", as his mother had previously suffered seven miscarriages. His father was a professional policeman, but also worked as a physical education teacher at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, the later school of Dwight Howard. Sheryl Howard was captain in the female basketball team of Morris Brown College. He was inspired at a young age by his parents to the basketball and trained. Already in the eighth grade Howard had set the goal once to win the national championship and be the first choice in an NBA Draft.

In high school, Howard made a basis for its height - 2.08 m in the ninth grade - exceptional speed and agility average of 16.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.3 blocks in 129 games achieve, mostly on the position of the power forward, but sometimes also on the position of guards, which is usually reserved for smaller players. In the last year of high school Howard could as the outstanding talent with his team win the state championship in Georgia and so great a stir in the talent scouts. He scored an average of outstanding 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8 blocks and 3.5 assists per game and has for this performance received numerous awards, including prestigious awards such as the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Gatorade Player of the Year Award and the McDonald's national high School Player of the Year, all in 2004. Moreover, he was selected along with JR Smith to co- MVP at the McDonald 's All- American Game in 2004, a game between the best national high school basketball players, like the NBA All- Star Game for NBA players. He was also elected Mr. Basketball in the state of Georgia in 2004. Not surprisingly, therefore, was his decision to skip college education and instead go directly to the U.S. professional league NBA as previously Howards favorite player Kevin Garnett in 1995 did the Howard has significantly influenced by his style of play and after whose Howard has designed his style of play.

NBA

NBA Draft 2004 rookie season

Following his success in high school Howard announced at age 18 as the youngest participant and one of the best national youth players to the NBA Draft 2004. Many critics were of the opinion that the young Howard still lacking in maturity and assertiveness for an NBA started. He would, however, an extraordinary talent that applies expand it. To be the first choice of the draft a duel between Howard and three years older Emeka Okafor from the University of Connecticut, who was the favorite for the First Overall Pick among many professionals emerged. The first choice could make the Orlando Magic, who had made ​​it their superstar Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets. They were allowed to decide if they want to achieve success in a short time with Emeka Okafor or want to achieve long -term success with Dwight Howard.

The Orlando Magic made ​​the perfect surprise and chose Howard as their future superstar. Dwight Howard chose for his jersey number 12, which is a reverse 21 on Kevin Garnett's jersey with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Howard joined a weakened and unmotivated team, which was able to record only 21 wins in the previous season, his NBA All Star Team and Captain Tracy McGrady, Drew Gooden and also had to cope with the departure of Juwan Howard. Howard was aware that he had to take over the role of McGrady and build the team again. The expectations could Howard, who started in all 82 games his rookie season coming as the first player in the NBA history directly out of high school, meet with average 12 points and 10 rebounds per game. He put it on a number of new records, he became the youngest player in the NBA history who reached a double-double as a seasonal average and also the youngest player, who scored at least 20 rebounds in a game. For his achievements, he became 2005 NBA Got Milk? Invited Rookie Challenge and Team convened also in the NBA All- Rookie First. He was elected in third place for the Rookie of the Year Award. Before him landed Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, who won the award.

Rise to fame

In the 2006-07 NBA season, he finally became a superstar after with 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game after 4 years he led the Orlando Magic back in the playoffs. He also played for the first time in the NBA All-Star Game with where he was able to convince with 20 points and 12 rebounds and was also selected 3rd team after the season to the All- NBA. He also won the All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest 2008 and received his second nomination for the All-Star Game.

In the first round of the play -offs of the 2007-08 season against the Toronto Raptors Howard scored in three games at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He was the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1972 to have managed this in the play- offs. He also reached the second round with the Magic and was first elected to the All- NBA First Team and thus its position as the best player in the league during the regular season. Since the 2006 World Cup squad he belongs to the national basketball team of the United States. In 2007 he won with the team the Pan American Championship, in this tournament, he scored 10 points in a union rate of 80% per game and won 6 rebounds on average. In 2008 he won with the national team at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. On 30 March 2009 Howard scored a new record when he broke the 5,000 rebound mark. At 23 years and 112 days he is the youngest player in NBA history to achieve that distinction. He ousted basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain from square one, which this was succeeded at the age of 25 years and 128 days. In the same season, Howard was with an average of 13.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game ( he led the NBA in both categories at ) voted the best defender. He is the youngest player in the history of the league, which was bestowed this honor.

In the 2008-09 season, Dwight Howard scored the first triple -double of his career with 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks. Howard was also able to win the Slam Dunk Contest with his legendary Superman dunk. (Video of Superman DunkVorlage: Web archive / Maintenance / Nummerierte_Parameter ) he was on 21 April 2009, the youngest NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the history of the NBA and led his team to the NBA Finals in 2009, the Orlando Magic for only the second time were able to achieve in their franchise history. In the first round they left the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Cleveland Cavaliers behind them, only to undergo in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers with 1:4.

In the 2009-10 season, there were significant changes in the squad of the Orlando Magic: Hedo Turkoglu was transferred to the Toronto Raptors and Vince Carter was brought by the New Jersey Nets. The team was able to bring the season with 59 wins in 82 games behind Dwight Howard became the second consecutive NBA Defensive Player of the Year. In the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs, the Magic put in four games against the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks by the Boston Celtics but were beaten in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the first game of the play-offs 2011 against the Atlanta Hawks Howard scored 46 points, which was a setting of the best performance in the play- offs for a player of Magic, and 19 rebounds, but lost his team. After the season, he demanded a trade. His agent received from the Magic 's permission with the Lakers, Mavericks and Nets to negotiate. On March 15, Howard signed a contract amendment, by which he renounced his player option and is thus another year under contract. On April 19, it was announced that Howard had to undergo an operation on the spine and thereby fail the rest of the season. In the playoffs, the Magic eliminated, as in the previous year, in the first round.

On January 24, 2012 Howard scored in a game against the Indiana Pacers 14 points, which he scored in his entire NBA career 10,657 points for the Orlando Magic. He is the franchise leader since that day on points. After the expiry of the 2011/2012 season the transfer rumors surrounding Howard flared up again. Regardless of any possible exchange was Howard announced through his agent that he will explore his options on the open market after the expiry of the 2012/2013 season and is previously not sign a new contract.

Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2013)

10 August 2012 Howard was announced changes to the Los Angeles Lakers. After joining Howard could not go into the training mode initially due to a back injury. At the beginning of the season he was fit again and took his new place in the starting line-up of the Los Angeles Lakers one. On January 4, 2013 he was injured in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the shoulder, trying to play despite injury in the next game and then dropped for three games because of a torn limbus. After 41 games, the Lakers were a modest 17 ​​wins and 24 defeats. At the end of the NBA season 2012/ 13 45 victories and 37 defeats were to book. In the playoffs, the Lakers San Antonio Spurs documents after 4 games in the first round.

Houston Rockets (since 2013)

After the 2012/2013 season was Howard Free Agent and courted by the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. After meeting with the leaders of these five teams, he opted for the Rockets.

Awards and achievements

• 3 × NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2009-2011
• 8 × NBA All -Star: 2007 to 2014
• 7 x All -NBA Team All- NBA 1st Team: 2008-2012
• All- NBA 3rd Team: 2007, 2013

• NBA All-Defensive 1st Team: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team: 2008

Private life

Dwight Howard with the earlier Orlando Magic cheerleader Royce Reed an illegitimate son named Braylon Joshua Robert Howard. This sparked a dispute with his devout Christian parents for a short time. Howard uses his Foundation, the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc., against child abuse and encourages students from socially disadvantaged families with scholarships.

Advertising

Dwight Howard has risen in recent years to become one of the most popular basketball player in the NBA. He dominated the All -Star Game voting in 2009 with 3,150,181 votes and becoming the first player in the NBA history who broke the 3 million mark. This marketing value is many companies worth tens of millions. Among other things, makes Howard for 50 cents Vitamin Water and for T -Mobile commercials. Howard is under contract with Adidas and is thus represented in the so-called Adidas Brotherhood team, a selection of the "best" NBA players, which was determined by Adidas. Among others, the Adidas Brotherhood team is still represented by Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. Together with Adidas Howard has brought in October 2008, a new basketball shoe on the market, the " TS Commander" Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard can be seen on the cover of basketball simulation NBA Live 2010.