Dwight Howard

Position: Center
Height: 6’11” (211 cm)
Weight: 265 lbs. (120 kg)
NBA Team: Orlando Magic
School: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (GA)

USA BASKETBALL NOTES

• Gold Medals: 2008 Olympics, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.
• Bronze Medal: 2006 FIBA World Championship.
• Named a member of the 2010-12 USA Men’s National Team on Feb. 10, 2010.
• Member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that finished 8-0 and won the gold medal. Averaged 10.9 ppg., 5.8 rpg., while shooting 74.5 percent from the field.
• Member of the 2008 USA Senior National Team that finished pre-Olympic tour with a 5-0 record. Averaged 10.0 ppg. and 5.2 rpg., shot 75.9 percent from the field.
• Member of the 2007 USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 10-0, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics. Started in nine games and played in all 10 of the USA’s games. Averaged 10.0 ppg. (6th best on team), a team high 5.3 rpg., a team high 1.8 bpg., 16.5 minutes a game, while shooting a team best 81.4 percent (35-43 FGs) from the field.
• Recorded in the gold medal game against Argentina 20 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting from the field and 6-for-8 shooting from the foul line, also added five rebounds and four blocked shots in 18 minutes of action. Recorded 19 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field in 18 minutes versus Mexico.
• Played for the USA White Team in the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge and recorded 21 points( 9-9 FGs, 3-3 FTs), also added nine rebounds and two blocked shots in just 24 minutes of action.
• Helped lead USA to an 8-1 record and bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan. Played in nine games and started five, averaged 7.3 ppg. (5th best on team), a team second best 4.7 rpg., a team leading 1.3 bpg., while shooting 54.1percent from the field.
• Finished the 2006 FIBA World Championship ranked sixth in blocked shots and his 12 blocked shots rank as the sixth most by a USA player in World Championship play.
• Named on August 17, 2006, a member of the 2006 USA World Championship Team.
• Helped lead the USA Senior National Team to a 5-0 record during its pre-World Championship tour averaging 5.4 ppg. and a team high 5.8 rpg.
• Named on March 5, 2006, to the 2006-2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.
• Named to 2004 USA Men's Junior National Select Team that would compete in the 2004 Nike Hoop Summit, however, he did not compete after withdrawing for personal reasons.

NBA HONORS

• Voted the 2009-10 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and became the youngest player so honored when he was voted the 2008-09 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He is just the seventh player in NBA history to win the award in back-to-back years.
• Finished fourth in voting for 2009 NBA Most Valuable Player and was fifth for the 2007-08 NBA MVP award.
• Selected All-NBA first team three times (2008, 2009 and 2010), was a unanimous selection in 2010.
• Named All-NBA third team once (2007).
• Named NBA All-Defensive first team twice (2009 and 2010).
• Named All-Defensive second team once (2008).
• Five-time NBA All-Star (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011) and four-time starter (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011).
• Voted an Eastern Conference starter in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game and finished with 5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 21 minutes.
• Votedan Eastern Conference starter in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and finished with 17 points (7-10 FGS), 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 27 minutes.
• Voted a 2009 NBA All-Star starter and set an NBA-record with 3,151,181 votes.
• Played on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge.
• Unanimous selection to the 2004-05 NBA All-Rookie first team.
• Finished third in the voting for 2004-05 NBA Rookie of the Year
• Won the 2008 Sprite Slam Dunk competition, dominated both rounds, scoring perfect 50s on both of his first round dunks and receiving 78 percent of the fans' votes in the finals.
• Selected a reserve member of the 2007 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Team. Posted a double-double of 20 points (10-14 FGs), a game best 12 rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in 21 minutes as the East fell to the West 153-132.
• Also demonstrated his rim-rattling flare in the 2007 Sprite Slam Dunk during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend. The NBA denied his request this week to raise the rim to 12 feet for the slam dunk event at All-Star Weekend. So while dunking on a regulation 10-foot rim, he placed a sticker with his off-hand atop the backboard -- 12-feet, 6-inches off the ground.
• Received NBA Community Assist Award for July 2007.

NBA MILESTONES

• Became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in blocked shots and rebounds in a season twice - let alone in consecutive years.
• Led the NBA in 2009-10 in field goal percentage (.612%), rebounding (13.2 rpg.) and blocked shots (2.78 bpg.) becoming the first player to lead the league in all three of those categories since the NBA started keeping blocked shots in 1973.
• Has played in all but three games as a member of the Magic.
• Grabbed his 2,000 career rebound against Memphis (11/20/06) becoming the youngest in NBA history to reach the milestone (20 years, 347 days).
• Became in 2005-06 one of only eight players in the NBA and the first rookie (along with Emeka Okafor) to average a double-double since Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning accomplished the feat in 1992-93.
• Became the youngest player in NBA history with 20-plus boards in a game after doing so versus Toronto (12/1/05). Also had 20 rebounds against Atlanta (2/10/06) becoming the first rookie since Tim Duncan in 1997-98 with multiple 20-plus rebound games in a rookie season
• Became first NBA rookie since 1992-93 (Shaquille O’Neal, 12 games) to record 10-plus rebounds in first nine regular season games of his career.
• Became the first player in NBA history directly out of high school to start in all 82 games during his rookie season.

NBA NOTES

• Completed in 2009-10 his sixth NBA season, all with Orlando.
• Has played in 489 games, started 488 games in his career and averaged 17.5 ppg., 12.7 rpg., 1.5 apg., 2.1 bpg., while shooting 57.5 percent from the field and 59.9 percent from the foul line.
• Boasts of career highs of 45 points (Charlotte 02/17/09), 26 rebounds (Philadelphia 04/15/06), 7 assists (2 times), 10 blocked shots (Oklahoma City 11/12/08) and 5 steals (Atlanta 10/29/08).
• Helped lead Orlando in 2009-10 to a 59-23 regular season record, second best record in the Eastern Conference, the Southeast Division title and the 2010 Playoffs.
• Started and played in all 82 games in 2009-10, averaged 34.7 minutes, 18.3 ppg., 13.2 rpg., 1.8 apg., 2.8 bpg., shot 61.2 percent from the field and 59.2 percent from the free throw line.
• Finished 2009-10 ranked 1st in the NBA in rebounding, 1st in blocked shots, 1st in field goal percentage, 1st in double-double (64), 2nd in offensive rebounds, 2nd in free throws attempted, 6th in efficiency ranking (25.62), 7th in free throws made, 24th in minutes played, 26th in scoring and 29th in field goals made.
• Finished 2007-08 NBA regular season averaging career highs of 20.7 ppg., 14.2 rpg., 2.2 bpg., and added 1.3 apg., while shooting 59.9 percent from the field.
• Finished 2007-08 ranked first overall in the NBA in rebounds per game, rebounds (1161), free throws attempted (897), defensive rebounds per game (10.8 rpg.), double-doubles (69); and was third in field goal percentage; fourth in efficiency ranking (26.76); fifth in offensive rebounds per game (3.4 rpg.); fifth in blocked shots per game; seventh in free throws made (529); ninth in minutes played (3088); 20th in minutes per game; 21st in points per game; 21st in field goals made (583).
• Selected by Orlando in the first round (first overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft.

HIGH SCHOOL NOTES

• Finished career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (Ga.) with 2,146 points, 1,728 rebounds and 811 blocked shots in 129 games for career averages of 16.6 ppg., 13.4 rpg., and 6.29 bpg.
• Won the 2004 Naismith Award, signifying the nation's top high school player; Morgan Wootten, Gatorade and the McDonald's National High School Player of the Year honors.
• Named to 2004 McDonald's All-American Team and 2004 EA Sports Roundball Classic All Star Team.
• Named Co-MVP of Big Time, when his AAU Atlanta Celtics took home tournament's tittle, named MVP at the Dunk at the Beach tournament, where his team finished first.

PERSONAL NOTES

• Born December 8, 1985, in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Full name is Dwight David Howard.
• Father, Dwight Sr., is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy.
• Mother, Sheryl, played on the inaugural women's basketball team at Morris Brown College.

• 2008 OLY - 2008 U.S. Olympic Games Team, Beijing, China (the USA finished 8-0 and won the gold medal).
  
• 2008 SNT - 2008 USA Basketball Senior National Team (the USA compiled a 5-0 record).
  
• 2007 OLYQ - 2007 USA FIBA Americas Championship Team (the USA finished 10-0, won the gold medal and qualified the U.S. men for the 2008 Olympics).
  
• 2007 SNT - 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge USA White Team (the USA Blue Team defeated USA White Team 105-104).
  
• 2006 WC - 2006 USA World Championship Team (the USA finished 8-1 and won the bronze medal).
  
• 2006 SNT - 2006 USA Basketball Senior National Team (the USA compiled a 5-0 record).