Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard
Born	Dwight David Howard II (1985-12-08) December 8, 1985 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	2004–present
Known for	NBA champion, eight-time NBA All-Star, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Dwight David Howard II (born December 8, 1985) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. Known by the moniker "Superman" for his remarkable athletic abilities, he is an NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, honored eight times on the All-NBA Team, selected five times to the All-Defensive Team, and has received the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.

Primarily playing as a center, Howard developed his skills at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy during high school. Opting to bypass college basketball, he entered the 2004 NBA draft and was chosen as the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic. Throughout his tenure with Orlando, he established numerous franchise and league records and led the team to the 2009 NBA Finals. After eight seasons, Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he had three separate one-year engagements and secured an NBA championship in 2020. His career also included stints with the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Post the 2021–22 NBA season, Howard signed with the Taoyuan Leopards competing in the overseas T1 League. During his single season there, he was selected as a participant in the T1 All-Star event.

In 2025, Howard was inducted twice into the Basketball Hall of Fame—once individually and once as a member of the renowned Redeem Team.

Early life

Born in Atlanta to Dwight Sr. and Sheryl Howard, Dwight grew up in a family deeply rooted in athletics. His father serves as a Georgia State Trooper and is also the athletic director at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, which is recognized for its elite high school basketball program; his mother was part of Morris Brown College’s inaugural women's basketball team. Raised with strong Christian values, Howard began focusing seriously on basketball around age nine. Despite his notable size, he possessed agility and versatility that allowed him to play guard positions early on. At Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, he predominantly played power forward, compiling averages of 16.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 6.3 blocks across 129 games. In his senior year, he led his squad to a 31–2 record and captured the state championship in 2004 while averaging 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks, and 3.5 assists per contest. That year, Howard was widely regarded as America’s top high school player, receiving accolades such as 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 awards. Additionally, he shared MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game and was later named among the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans in 2012.

Early years (2004–2008)

Following his outstanding high school career, Howard declared for the 2004 NBA draft, motivated by his idol Kevin Garnett, and was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic, ahead of University of Connecticut junior Emeka Okafor. He opted for jersey number 12 as a reverse homage to Garnett’s number 21. Joining a Magic roster that had just endured a dismal 21-win season and lost star player Tracy McGrady, Howard made an immediate impact. During his rookie campaign (2004–05 NBA season), he posted averages of 12 points and 10 rebounds, becoming both the youngest player in NBA history to average a double-double and to record at least 20 rebounds in a single game. He also became the first high school draftee to start all 82 games in his rookie year. His performance earned him selection to the 2005 NBA Rookie Challenge and unanimous inclusion on the All-Rookie Team, finishing third in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Entering his sophomore season, Howard enhanced his physique by adding approximately 20 pounds of muscle. Under coach Brian Hill, he transitioned into a dedicated center role with emphasis on post moves and defensive skills. On November 15, 2005, Howard recorded 21 points along with 20 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to achieve such numbers. He averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds that season, ranking second league-wide in rebounds per game and total double-doubles; however, Orlando missed playoff qualification with a 36–46 record.

During the 2006–07 campaign, Howard again played all 82 games. He earned his inaugural NBA All-Star nod as an Eastern Conference reserve. Highlights included a game-winning alley-oop against the San Antonio Spurs and setting a personal best with 35 points versus Philadelphia's team. Leading Orlando to an eighth seed playoff berth, they were swept by the defending champion Detroit Pistons. That season, Howard averaged 17.6 points alongside 12.3 rebounds, led all players in total rebounds collected, ranked second in shooting percentage from the field, and received All-NBA Third Team recognition. Following this breakout performance, he secured a five-year contract extension worth $80 million through to the end of the 2012–13 season.

Howard sustained strong form during the 2007–08 season, steering Orlando to their best regular-season record up to that point. He was voted an Eastern Conference All-Star starter. On February 16, 2008, Howard captured victory in the prestigious NBA Slam Dunk Contest with creative dunks that reinvigorated interest in the competition. That year, he propelled Orlando to their first division championship in over a decade while securing third place seed entering playoffs. In round one against Toronto, Howard dominated by posting three games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds each en route to winning a five-game series; notably, his total rebound count surpassed Toronto’s entire frontcourt combined. The Magic were eliminated by Detroit in five games during round two. For this standout season, Howard earned selections on both the All-NBA First Team and NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

NBA Finals run and period of dominance (2008–2011)

Dwight Howard began the 2008–09 campaign impressively, leading the league early in blocks per game with an average of 4.2. In December, he experienced his first missed game due to a left knee injury, ending a streak of 351 consecutive appearances. Garnering a record-breaking 3.1 million votes, Howard was selected as a starter for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. He propelled Orlando to secure its second straight Southeast Division championship and clinched the third seed in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, finishing with a 59–23 record.

During the postseason, Howard delivered a dominant performance with 24 points and 24 rebounds in Game 5 against Philadelphia, aiding Orlando in winning the series in six games. Despite publicly questioning coach Stan Van Gundy's tactics during a challenging matchup with the Boston Celtics, the Magic advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. There, they overcame the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. In Game 6, Howard achieved a playoff career-best of 40 points along with 14 rebounds, guiding Orlando to its first NBA Finals appearance after a 14-year gap. In the NBA Finals, although Howard set a Finals record with nine blocks and grabbed 21 rebounds in Game 4, the Magic were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. He became the youngest recipient of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and earned selections to both the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team.

In the following season, the Magic set a franchise milestone by winning 17 out of their initial 21 games. Howard once again secured his role as starting center for the Eastern Conference in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Orlando concluded with another 59-win season and captured their third consecutive division crown. The team advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals but fell to Boston in six games. Howard claimed his second straight Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first player to lead the league in both blocks and rebounds over two consecutive seasons.

Throughout the 2010–11 campaign, Howard achieved personal bests in scoring and field goal percentage while earning Defensive Player of the Year honors for a third straight time—a feat unprecedented in league history. He topped categories including double-doubles, averaging 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and a career-high average of 1.3 steals per game. The Magic secured 52 victories but were ousted by the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round; notably, Howard posted a playoff career-high of 46 points alongside 19 rebounds in Game 1. That season also saw him lead the league with 18 technical fouls, which resulted in two suspensions lasting one game each. Additionally, from 2005–06 through 2010–11, Howard topped all players in dunks for six straight seasons, peaking with an impressive total of 269 dunks during the 2007–08 season.

Final year in Orlando (2011–2012)

The 2011–12 NBA season was reduced to 66 games following a lockout. Soon after the season's conclusion, Dwight Howard, who was eligible for free agency, requested a trade to either the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Dallas Mavericks. Although his preference was to remain with Orlando, Howard voiced dissatisfaction with the Magic’s efforts to assemble a championship-caliber team. Subsequently, he met with franchise executives and agreed to retract his trade demands while insisting on roster improvements to maintain competitiveness.

On January 12, 2012, Howard set a new NBA regular-season record by attempting 39 free throws in a game against the Golden State Warriors, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 1962 mark of 34 attempts. He converted 21 of those shots, tallying 45 points and grabbing 23 rebounds in a 117–109 win. Later that month, on January 24, he became the all-time leading scorer for the Magic.

By March 15, Howard chose to forgo his contract opt-out clause and committed to staying with Orlando through the 2012–13 season, despite earlier trade requests involving the Nets. The organization had been ready to move him if he had declined to sign. On April 5, head coach Stan Van Gundy disclosed that Howard had wanted him dismissed; however, Howard denied this during a direct conversation with Van Gundy. Following the season’s end, Van Gundy was relieved of his coaching duties.

On April 19, Howard announced he would undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, which ended his season prematurely and ruled him out of participation in the 2012 London Olympics. During the offseason, he renewed trade demands directed at the Brooklyn Nets and indicated that he would enter free agency after the subsequent season if no trade occurred.

Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2013)

On August 10, 2012, Howard was traded from Orlando to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a multi-team transaction. After a six-month hiatus recovering from back surgery, he had only four weeks of training camp and preseason preparation before the regular season began. Still in recovery mode, Howard managed his playing time carefully on both offense and defense. On January 4, 2013, he sustained a right shoulder injury during a defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers. At the midpoint of the season, the Lakers held a 17–24 record. Howard averaged 17.1 points shooting at 58.2%, along with 12.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game but struggled with fouling out, turnovers, and free throw accuracy.

Howard voiced frustration over his limited involvement in offensive plays and felt that Kobe Bryant was taking an excessive number of shots. Nevertheless, he committed to enhancing his overall contributions beyond scoring. Recurring shoulder issues forced him to miss several games throughout January and February. During Pau Gasol’s absence due to injury, Bryant encouraged Howard to play through his discomfort; Howard responded by stating Bryant was “not a doctor,” though he returned for the following game.

During the All-Star break, Howard adopted healthier eating habits aiming to strengthen his role as defensive anchor for the Lakers and better execute coach Mike D'Antoni’s pick-and-roll offensive scheme. However, on February 23 he admitted that he was “not even close” to being in peak physical shape. D’Antoni attributed some difficulties running pick-and-roll plays with Steve Nash to Howard’s conditioning challenges. After the break, the Lakers improved significantly with an 8–2 run and secured the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs; during this stretch Howard averaged 15.5 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game.

In his first return game to Orlando on March 12, Howard scored a season-best 39 points along with 16 rebounds in a Lakers victory despite receiving boos from the crowd. He also set franchise records by making 25 free throws on 39 attempts—matching his own NBA record for most free throw attempts in a single game—and converted 16 of 20 when intentionally fouled by the Magic.

Serving as the defensive cornerstone for Los Angeles with improved performance, the team advanced to the postseason but were swept by San Antonio in the opening round. Howard was ejected late in Game 4 of that series.

Howard finished that campaign with his lowest scoring average since his sophomore year but led all players in rebounding and ranked second in field goal percentage league-wide. Despite recovering from back surgery, he missed only six games due to a torn labrum injury. He earned selection to the All-NBA Third Team after five straight First Team honors. As a free agent that summer, Howard received a maximum five-year contract offer worth $118 million from the Lakers.

Houston Rockets (2013–2016)

On July 13, 2013, Howard agreed to a four-year deal worth $88 million with the Houston Rockets, teaming up with James Harden to create a formidable partnership. Throughout the regular season, he averaged 18.3 points alongside 12.2 rebounds, earning a spot on the All-NBA Second Team. During the 2014 playoffs, Howard posted averages of 26 points and 13.7 rebounds per game; however, the Rockets were ousted in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Howard participated in the first ten games of the 2014–15 season before missing eleven contests due to a strained right knee. Upon his return on December 13, he achieved his 10,000th career rebound milestone. Nevertheless, ongoing knee problems caused him to miss additional time from late January for roughly a month, accumulating a total of 26 missed games. He made his comeback on March 25 but saw limited playing time under coach Kevin McHale, culminating in just 41 appearances that season. Despite these challenges, Houston clinched their first division title in over two decades and progressed to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the Golden State Warriors.

On November 4, 2015, Howard delivered a flawless shooting performance with 23 points and 14 rebounds against the Orlando Magic, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the field—becoming the first Rocket since Yao Ming in 2009 to convert at least ten field goals without a miss. By December 26, he had surpassed the milestone of 15,000 career points. On January 18, 2016, Howard recorded 36 points and matched his career-best with 26 rebounds during an overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers, extending his streak to ten consecutive double-doubles—the longest active run in the league at that point. On June 22, 2016, he opted out of his $23 million player option for the upcoming season, entering unrestricted free agency.

Atlanta Hawks (2016–2017)

Howard signed a three-year contract valued at $70 million with his hometown Atlanta Hawks on July 12, 2016. Following Tim Duncan's retirement, Howard entered the 2016–17 campaign as the NBA’s current leader in both rebounds (12,089) and blocks (1,916). In his debut for Atlanta on October 27, he secured 19 rebounds—setting a franchise record for most boards in an Atlanta debut game. On November 2, he tallied a season-high 31 points during a defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers. Later, on February 2, Howard contributed 24 points and pulled down 23 rebounds in a victory over his former team, the Rockets.

Charlotte Hornets (2017–2018)

On June 20, 2017, Howard was traded by the Hawks along with the No. 31 pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Marco Belinelli, Miles Plumlee, and the No. 41 pick. Early in that season, Howard became the first Hornets player since Emeka Okafor in 2007 to post four straight games with at least fifteen rebounds. On March 15, he scored 33 points—including twenty in the second half—against his former team. Six days later, Howard set a franchise record by recording a remarkable 32 points and 30 rebounds in a win over the Nets; this performance marked only the eighth instance of a 30–30 game in NBA history and was the first since Kevin Love accomplished it in 2010. He received a one-game suspension after accruing his sixteenth technical foul of that season. Howard concluded with a franchise-best total of fifty-three double-doubles and joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as one of the few players holding single-season records for two different teams. Additionally, he became one of six players ever to average a double-double across each of their first thirteen NBA seasons.

On July 6, 2018, Howard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Timofey Mozgov, draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, a second-round pick in 2021, and cash considerations. The Nets promptly waived him following the trade.

Washington Wizards (2018–2019)

On July 12, 2018, Howard agreed to a two-year deal worth $10.9 million with the Washington Wizards. Due to discomfort in his lower back, he was absent from training camp, all preseason matchups, and the first seven games of the regular season. After participating in nine contests in November, Howard underwent spinal surgery to alleviate gluteal pain, which sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. Reports in March 2019 also indicated he was dealing with a hamstring injury. On April 18, 2019, Howard chose to activate his $5.6 million player option, committing to the Wizards for an additional year.

Howard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on July 6, 2019, in exchange for forward C. J. Miles. The Grizzlies waived him on August 24, 2019.

Second stint with the Lakers (2019–2020)

On August 26, 2019, Howard returned to the Los Angeles Lakers by signing a veteran minimum contract valued at $2.6 million. This reunion came as he filled the void left by DeMarcus Cousins, who was sidelined for the season due to a knee injury. Demonstrating adaptability, Howard accepted a non-guaranteed contract that allowed the Lakers flexibility to release him if necessary.

Throughout the season, Howard split minutes with starting center JaVale McGee. On January 13, 2020, he achieved a season-best performance with 21 points on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting and secured 15 rebounds. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, coach Frank Vogel inserted Howard into the starting lineup to counteract the Nuggets' Nikola Jokić. Howard contributed 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 23 minutes, aiding the Lakers in taking a commanding 3–1 lead in the series. This marked his first start under Vogel when McGee was available during that season.

The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals, where they defeated the Miami Heat 4–2, earning Howard his inaugural NBA championship.

Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2021)

On November 21, 2020, Howard signed a one-year contract worth $2,564,753 with the Philadelphia 76ers. Over 69 games—including six starts—he averaged 7 points and 8.4 rebounds while playing an average of 17.3 minutes per contest. Howard received a one-game suspension after accumulating his 16th technical foul during an altercation with Udonis Haslem. Although the team secured both the Atlantic Division title and best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference, they were eliminated in seven games by the Atlanta Hawks during the Conference Semifinals after relinquishing a substantial 26-point lead in Game 5.

Third stint with the Lakers (2021–2022)

Howard rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers on August 6, 2021, signing another veteran minimum contract valued at $2.6 million. He appeared in 60 games and started in 27 due to injuries sustained by Anthony Davis, averaging 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Despite fielding one of the NBA’s most talented rosters and being regarded as strong championship contenders, the Lakers failed to qualify for the playoffs—a result widely considered among the most significant underperformances in league history.

Taoyuan Leopards (2022–2023)

After being unable to secure an NBA roster spot, Howard signed with Taiwan’s Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League on November 7, 2022. Although foreign players’ salaries are capped at US$200,000 in this league, an exception allowed Howard to earn over $1 million as part of efforts to boost competitiveness and fan engagement. He made a remarkable debut by recording 38 points, 25 rebounds, nine assists, and four blocks in a victory over New Taipei CTBC DEA. Soon after, he suffered a knee injury attributed to playing more than 90 minutes within a span of 26 hours. The injury recurred following consecutive games in December, resulting in limited appearances primarily during home fixtures to avoid further strain.

In February 2023, Howard was selected as an All-Star, earned MVP honors after scoring 37 points in the All-Star Game, and participated in the Three-Point Contest. He led the league in rebounds throughout the 2022–23 T1 League season, earned spots on both the All-Defensive First Team and All-T1 League First Team by May 2023, and was honored as Most Valuable Import for that season.

Later career (2023–2025)

Following the conclusion of the season, Howard explored opportunities with the Australian National Basketball League and showed interest in the Philippine Basketball Association, though he ultimately did not commit to either league. On March 1, 2024, he briefly inked a deal with Puerto Rico’s Mets de Guaynabo in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional but never appeared in a game for them.

Howard also took part in exhibition squads, joining Strong Group Athletics at the Dubai International Basketball Championship in January 2024, where he helped the team earn a silver medal. Later, on May 30, 2024, he became a member of the Taiwan Mustangs competing in The Asian Tournament (TAT).

In 2025, Howard received induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame both as an individual player and as part of the 2008 United States men’s Olympic basketball squad.

National team career

On March 5, 2006, Howard was added to the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team roster for 2006–2008. Serving as the starting center, he contributed to an undefeated 5–0 run during the pre-World Championship tour and played a key role in securing a bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. At the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, Howard started eight out of nine contests, averaging 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive .778 from the field. In the championship game against Argentina, he scored 20 points on flawless shooting, helping Team USA claim gold.

Howard earned a spot on the 12-player roster for the 2008 Beijing Olympics on June 23, 2008. As starting center, he contributed significantly to Team USA’s undefeated run and gold medal victory, reasserting their international dominance following the 2004 Games. Throughout the tournament, Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.

Player profile

Measuring and weighing , Howard primarily played at center and led the NBA in rebounding six times between 2007 and 2013. His remarkable athletic ability included a vertical leap measured at in 2011—an exceptional feat for a player of his stature. This explosiveness was highlighted during the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest when he executed an alley-oop dunk featuring a sticker slap on the backboard from .

Prominent NBA players lauded Howard’s physical gifts: Tim Duncan described him as highly developed with considerable potential, while Kevin Garnett famously referred to him as a "freak of nature." Andre Iguodala emphasized Howard’s defensive adaptability during the 2009 NBA Playoffs. ESPN analyst David Thorpe named him the most dominant center in December 2007. Early in his career, Howard was widely regarded as one of the premier young talents in the league.

Despite his on-court capabilities, Howard gained a reputation for being a difficult presence in team locker rooms. In 2013, he spoke unfavorably about his former Orlando Magic teammates, and Bleacher Report observed that he had effectively burned bridges with that franchise. His interpersonal conflicts extended to teammates such as Kobe Bryant during his time with the Lakers and James Harden while with the Rockets. Notably, during a Rockets game in 2015, Howard was caught on video grabbing teammate Isaiah Canaan’s groin area. When traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Charlotte Hornets, reports indicated that some Hawks players celebrated his departure. After joining Washington Wizards from Charlotte, commentator Brendan Haywood described Howard as challenging with poor team chemistry. NBC News highlighted that issues with interpersonal dynamics marked his stints with Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets. Upon signing with the Lakers in 2019, management warned him that any inappropriate conduct would result in termination.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 82 || style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 32.6 || .520 || .000 || .671 || 10.0 || .9 || .9 || 1.7 || 12.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 81 || 36.8 || .531 || .000 || .595 || 12.5 || 1.5 || .8 || 1.4 || 15.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 36.9 || .603 || .500 || .586 || 12.3 || 1.9 || .9 || 1.9 || 17.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 37.7 || .599 || .000 || .590 || style="background:#cfecec;"|14.2* || 1.3 || .9 || 2.1 || 20.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 79 || 79 || 35.7 || .572 || .000 || .594 || style="background:#cfecec;"|13.8* || 1.4 || 1.0 || style="background:#cfecec;"|2.9* || 20.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || style="background:#cfecec;"|82* || 34.7 || style="background:#cfecec;"|.612* || .000 || .592 || style="background:#cfecec;"|13.2* || 1.8 || .9 || style="background:#cfecec;"|2.8*|| 18.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 78||78||37.5|| .593|| .000|| .596||14.1||1.4||1.4||2.4|| 22.9 |- | style="text-align:left;" |

|style="text-align:left;" |Orlando
|54||54|| 38.3|| .573|| .000|| .491|| style="background:#cfecec;" |14.5*|| 1.9|| 1.5||2.1||20.6
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |L.A. Lakers
|76||76||35.8|| .578|| .167|| .492||style="background:#cfecec;" |12.4*||1.4||1.1||2.4||17.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston
|71||71||33.7|| .591|| .286|| .547||12.2||1.8||.8||1.8||18.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston
|41||41||29.8|| .593|| .500|| .528||10.5||1.2||.7||1.3||15.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Houston
|71||71||32.1|| .620|| .000|| .489||11.8||1.4||1.0||1.6||13.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Atlanta
|74||74||29.7|| .633|| .000|| .533||12.7||1.4||.9||1..2|||13..5

|-

|style="text-align:left" |
|style="text-align:left" |Charlotte
|81|||81|||30..4||| .555||| .143||| .574|||12..5|||1..3|||0..6|||1..6|||16..6

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;" | | "Orlando" | '82' | '82'* | '32.6' | '.520' | '.000' | '.671' | '10.0' | '0.9' | '0.9' | '17' | |- ... (Additional seasons follow in similar format) ... |- <style=text-align:center;>Career</style> | '1242' | '1078' | '31.8' | '.587' | '.214' | '.567' | '11.8' | '1.3' | '0.9' | '1.8' | '15.7' |- <style=text-align:center;>All-Star</style> | '8' | '6' | '23.3' | '.642' | '.154' | '.450' | '8.8' | '1.5' | '0.6' | '1.1' | '12.1'

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2007 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 4 || 4 || 41.8 || .548 || || .455 || 14.8 || 1.8 || .5 || 1.0 || 15.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2008 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 10 || 10 || 42.1 || .581 || || .542 || 15.8 || .9 || .8 || 3.4 || 18.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2009 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 23 || 23 || 39.3 || .601 || .000 || .636 || 15.3 || 1.9 || .9 || 2.6 || 20.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2010 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 14 || 14 || 35.5 || .614 || || .519 || 11.1 || 1.4 || .8 || 3.5|| 18.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2011 | style="text-align:left;"|Orlando | 6 || 6 || 43.0 || .630 || .000 ||.682 || 15.5 || 0.5 || .7 || 1.8 || 27.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2013 | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Lakers | 4 || 4 || 31.5 || .619 || || .444 || 10.8 || 1.0 || .5 || 2.0 || 17.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2014 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston | 6 || 6 || 38.5 || .547 || || .625 || 13.7 || 1.8 || .7 || 2.8||26.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2015 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston |17||17||33.8||.577||||.412||14.0||1..2||1..4||2..3||16..4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2016 | style="text-align:left;"|Houston |5||5||36..0||.542||.000||.368||14..0||1..6||..8||1..4||13..2 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2017

| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta  
|6||6||26..1||.500||||..632||10..7||1..3||1..0||..8||8..0   
|-  
| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;" | 2020   
| style="text-align:left;" | L.A.Lakers   
|18||7||15..7||.684||.500||'.556'||4..6||0..5||0..4||0..4||5..8   
|-   
| style="text-align:left;" | 2021   
| style="text-align:left;" | Philadelphia   
|12||0||12..4||.533||.000||.600||6..3||0..7||0..2||0..5||4..7   
|- class="sortbottom"   
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career   
|125||102|||31..6|||.589|||.143|||.548|||11..8|||1..2|||'.8'||'2..0'||'15..3'

Other media

In April 2006, Howard made a special guest appearance on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, where he supported a social services organization based in Orlando.

He took part in the sixth season of The Masked Singer under the alias "Octopus," but was eliminated during the initial episode.

Howard was featured in every installment of the NBA 2K video game series from NBA 2K5 (2004) through to NBA 2K22 (2021). Additionally, he appeared in all NBA Live games beginning with NBA Live 05 (2004) until the franchise concluded with NBA Live 19 (2018), serving as the cover athlete for NBA Live 10. His presence extended to related titles such as NBA Street V3, NBA Jam, and NBA Playgrounds.

In 2011, Howard guest-starred as himself on Disney’s The Suite Life on Deck, alongside fellow NBA athletes Deron Williams and Kevin Love.

During the Gaza conflict in 2014, Howard posted "Free Palestine" on Twitter but was subsequently directed by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to issue a retraction and an apology.

More recently, he secured third place on the reality competition Special Forces: World's Toughest Test (2023) and participated in season thirty-three of Dancing with the Stars (2024), partnered with Daniella Karagach; they were eliminated during the landmark 500th episode of the series.

In September 2025, Howard took part in the first American edition of the British reality show Inside.

Personal life

Howard is a father to five children, each from different women.

In 2010, he won a defamation lawsuit against Royce Reed, mother of his eldest child Braylon. A Florida court found that Reed had breached a court order that barred her from publicly mentioning Howard. He initially sought nearly $500 million in damages due to disparaging remarks made via Twitter and her appearances on the reality series Basketball Wives, as their paternity agreement imposed a $500 fine for every public mention.

In October 2014, Cobb County law enforcement investigated allegations from Reed claiming Howard had abused their son. Howard acknowledged using a belt for discipline, a form of punishment he experienced during his upbringing and did not recognize as inappropriate at the time. No charges were filed. He was also involved in a civil custody dispute with Reed.

Howard maintains an extensive collection of approximately 20 snakes and has appeared twice on Animal Planet’s reality show Tanked. He owns a farm located in north Georgia where he raises various livestock and cultivates vegetables on his estate in Suwanee, Georgia.

Melissa Rios, mother of his son David, passed away in March 2020 following an epileptic seizure; David was in Howard’s care at that moment.

Howard previously dated WNBA player Te’a Cooper; they became engaged in 2019 but ended their relationship by 2021. In 2024, Howard revealed his engagement to rapper and reality television personality Amy Luciani. The couple married privately in January 2025; however, Luciani filed for divorce six months later, citing irreconcilable differences.

Philanthropy, faith, and public image

Prior to being drafted into the NBA in 2004, Howard shared his ambition to leverage both his professional career and Christian faith to "elevate God's name within the league and across the globe." He places significant importance on community involvement and charitable efforts, founding the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. alongside his parents that same year. In 2009, this foundation earned recognition as a finalist for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which honors athletes' philanthropic contributions.

Epix produced a documentary titled In the Moment in 2014 that spotlighted Howard’s personal journey and professional accomplishments.

On his 37th birthday in 2022, Howard successfully raised over NT$3 million (approximately US$97,969) through an auction featuring collectible jerseys and shoes. The funds were donated to CountryEDU Charity Foundation and Good Shepherd Social Welfare foundation. He also made visits to local schools to engage with students and encourage them to follow their dreams.

Howard was featured in the "Taipei" episode of Netflix’s 2024 docu-series Somebody Feed Phil, where he discussed his charitable initiatives and cultural experiences after relocating to Taiwan. Dining with host Philip Rosenthal, he sampled Taiwanese and Hong Kong dishes such as foie gras and uni, illustrating his growing cultural interests.

Allegations of Assault and Battery

In July 2023, Dwight Howard faced a lawsuit accusing him of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment stemming from an incident that occurred in July 2021 at his residence in Georgia. The plaintiff claimed that Howard pressured him into participating in a threesome and engaged in non-consensual sexual acts. Howard refuted these accusations, asserting that the interaction was consensual and suggesting the plaintiff's motives were financially driven. The case was ultimately dismissed with prejudice in August 2024.

See also

• List of NBA franchise career scoring leaders
• List of NBA career rebounding leaders
• List of NBA career blocks leaders
• List of NBA career turnovers leaders
• List of NBA career personal fouls leaders
• List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders
• List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders
• List of NBA career games played leaders
• List of NBA career playoff rebounding leaders
• List of NBA career playoff blocks leaders
• List of NBA annual rebounding leaders
• List of NBA annual blocks leaders
• List of NBA single-season rebounding leaders
• List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
• List of NBA single-game rebounding leaders