Look up Howard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Howard is a popular English language occupational given name of Old English origin, meaning "noble watchman". A diminutive is "Howie" and its shortened form is "Ward" (most common in the 19th century). Between 1900-1960, Howard ranked in the U.S. Top 200; between 1960–1990, it ranked in the U.S. Top 400; between 1990–2004, it ranked in the U.S. Top 600.^[1] People with the given name Howard or its variants include:

Howard, given name[link]

• Howard Duane Allman (1946-1971), American guitar virtuoso
• Howard Burnett (born 1961), Jamaican track and field athlete
• Howard Carter (1874–1939), King Tut Tomb discoverer
• Howard Cosell (1918–1995), sports broadcaster
• Howard Dean (born 1948), American politician
• Howard Donald (born 1968), English singer with Take That
• Howard Devoto (born Howard Trafford, 1952), English rock and roll singer/songwriter
• Howard Duff (1913–1990), American actor
• Howard Goodall (born 1958), British musician, musicologist and TV presenter
• Howard Grant (born 1966), Jamaican-Canadian boxer
• Howard Hawks (1896–1977), American producer
• Howard Hesseman (born 1940), American actor
• Howard Hughes (1905–1976), American aviation pioneer and film mogul
• Howard Johnson, name of several people
• Howard Jones (musician) (born 1955), English
• Howard Judd (1935–2007), American physician and medical researcher
• Howard Kendall, English football player and manager
• Howard Lederer (born 1964), professional poker player
• H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937), American writer
• Howard McNear (1905–1969), American radio and television actor
• Howard Marks (born 1945), former teacher, drug smuggler and author
• Howard Payne (athlete) (1931–1992), English hammer thrower
• Howard Shore (born 1946) Canadian film-score composer
• Howard Stern (born 1954), American talk-radio host
• Howard K. Stern (born 1968), attorney for Anna Nicole Smith
• Howard Unruh (1921–2009), American spree killer
• Howard Wilkinson, English football manager
• Howard Zinn, (1922-2010), an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist.

Howie, nickname[link]

• Howie B (born 1963), Scottish musician and producer
• Howie Carr (born 1952), American journalist
• Howie Day (born 1981), American singer-songwriter
• Howie Dorough (born 1973), American musician with Backstreet Boys
• Howie Epstein (1955–2003), American musician
• Howie Gordon (born 1971), Big Brother contestant
• Howie Gordon (later known as Richard Pacheco), American pornographic actor
• Howie Hawkins, American politician and activist
• Howie Long (born 1960), American football player
• Howie Mandel (born 1955), Canadian comedian and actor, Deal or no Deal- TV Show
• Howie Meeker (born 1924), Canadian hockey player, TV sports announcer, Member of Parliament
• Howie Morenz (1902–1937), Canadian ice hockey player
• Howie Nave (born 1956), American comedian, radio personality, writer, promoter and movie critic
• Howie Rose (born 1954), American sportscaster
• Howie Winter (born 1929), American mobster

Ward, shortened form[link]

• Ward Bond (1903–1960), American actor
• Ward Christensen, American computer programmer and creator of the Xmodem and the first BBS
• Ward Churchill (born 1947), American controversial writer and political activist
• Ward Cunningham (born 1949), American founder of WikiWikiWeb
• Ward Weaver III (born 1963), American convicted felon

Fictional characters[link]

• Howard Roark, protagonist of Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead
• Howard the Duck, a comic book character
• Howard Wolowitz, a fictional character on the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Simon Helberg.
• Ward Cleaver, character in the television sitcom, Leave It to Beaver
• Ward Zabac, character in Final Fantasy VIII
• Wardes, character from Zero no Tsukaima
• Howard Hunter, fictional character played by James B. Sikking on Hill Street Blues

Howard, stage name[link]

• Howard Keel, (born Harold, 1917 or 1919–2004), singer and actor

Other[link]

• Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C
• Howard Theatre, Washington, D.C.
• Howard Park Wines, a winery in Western Australia
• Howard Aircraft Corporation, a defunct American aircraft manufacturer
• Castle Howard, a stately home in Malton, England

References[link]

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

Dwight Howard

Howard in 2011
No. 12 – Orlando Magic
Center
Personal information
Born	(1985-12-08) December 8, 1985 (age 26) Atlanta, Georgia
Nationality	American
High school	Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Pro career	2004–present
Career history
2004–present	Orlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
3× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2009–2011) 6× NBA All-Star (2007–2012) 5× All-NBA First Team (2008–2012) All-NBA Third Team (2007) 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2009–2012) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2008) NBA Slam Dunk Champion (2008) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2005) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2004)

Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985)^[1] is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. He chose to forgo college and entered the 2004 NBA Draft, and was selected first overall by the Magic. A six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA team selection, five-time All-Defensive member, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Howard has been ranked consistently as one of the best in the league in rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw attempts, and has set numerous franchise and league records. He has led the Magic to three division titles and one conference title, and he was the winner of the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. In the 2008 Olympics, he was the starting center for Team USA, which went on to win the gold medal.

Before he was drafted in 2004, Howard said that he wanted to use his NBA career and Christian faith to "raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world". In November 2009, he was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work.

Early life[link]

Howard was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Dwight Sr. and Sheryl Howard and into a family with strong athletic connections. His father is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy with one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, while his mother played on the inaugural women's basketball team at Morris Brown College.^[1] A devout Christian since his youth, Howard became serious about basketball around the age of nine; when in the eighth grade, he resolved to be selected as the number one pick in the NBA Draft one day.^[2][3] Despite his large frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position.^[3] He elected to attend Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy for high school, and in his four years he played mostly as power forward, averaging 16.6 points per game (ppg), 13.4 rebounds per game (rpg) and 6.3 blocks per game in 129 appearances.^[1][3] As a senior, Howard led his team to the 2004 state title.^[3] He averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 8.1 blocks and 3.5 assists per game.^[3] That same year, Howard was widely recognized as the best American high school basketball player, and he was awarded the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award, the Morgan Wootten High School Player of the Year Award, Gatorade National Player of the Year and the McDonald's National High School Player of the Year honor.^[4] He was also co-MVP (with J. R. Smith) of the McDonald's High School All-American Game that year.^[4] On January 31, 2012, Howard was also honored as one of the 35 greatest McDonald's All-Americans.^[5]

NBA career[link]

Early years (2004–2007)[link]

Howard at the free throw line

Following his high school successes, Howard chose to forego college and declared for the 2004 NBA Draft—a decision partly inspired by his idol Kevin Garnett who had done the same in 1995—where the Orlando Magic selected him first overall over UConn junior Emeka Okafor.^[1][3] He took the number 12 for his jersey, in part because it was the reverse of Garnett's 21 when he played for Minnesota.^[6] Howard joined a depleted Magic squad that had finished with only 21 victories the previous season; further, the club had just lost perennial NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady.^[3] Howard, however, made an immediate impact. He finished his rookie season with an average of 12.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg,^[7] setting several NBA records in the process. He became the youngest player in NBA history to average a double double in the regular season.^[4] He also became the youngest player in NBA history to average at least 10 rebounds in a season and youngest NBA player ever to record at least 20 rebounds in a game.^[4] Howard's importance to the Magic was highlighted when he became the first player in NBA history directly out of high school to start all 82 games during his rookie season.^[4] For his efforts, he was selected to play in the 2005 NBA Rookie Challenge, and was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie Team.^[4] He also finished third to fellow center Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and guard Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls for the Rookie of the Year award.^[8]

Howard boxes out JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards.

Howard reported to camp for his second NBA campaign having added 20 pounds of muscle during the off-season.^[3] Orlando coach Brian Hill—responsible for grooming former Magic superstar Shaquille O'Neal—decided that Howard should be converted into a full-fledged center.^[3] Hill identified two areas where Howard needed to improve: his post-up game, and his defense. He exerted extra pressure on Howard, saying that the Magic would need him to emerge as a force in the middle before the team had a chance at the playoffs.^[3] Even though the big man played tentatively at times, he was able to build on his strong rookie year with an impressive sophomore season. On November 15, 2005, in a home game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Howard scored 21 points and 20 rebounds, becoming the youngest player ever to score 20 or more points and gather 20 or more rebounds in the same game.^[9] He was selected to play on the Sophomore Team in the 2006 Rookie Challenge during the All-Star break,^[1] and on April 15, 2006, he recorded a career-high 26 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers; his 28 points in that game also brought him close to an NBA rarity, a 30–30 game.^[3][7] Overall, he averaged 15.8 points and 12.5 rebounds^[7] per game, ranking second in the NBA in rebounds per game, offensive rebounds, and double doubles; and sixth in field goal percentage.^[1] Despite Howard's improvement, the Magic finished the season with a 36–46 win-loss record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season since Howard's arrival.^[10]

Howard took another step forward as the franchise player for Orlando in the 2006–07 season, and for the third consecutive season he played in all 82 regular season games.^[7] On February 1, 2007, he received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.^[1] Howard finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds.^[11] Less than a week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors.^[12] A highlight was his game-winning alley-oop off an inbound at the buzzer against the San Antonio Spurs at Amway Arena on February 9.^[13] As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental, recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14, 2007.^[14] Under his leadership, the Magic qualified for the 2007 NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2003 as the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference.^[15] However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round.^[16] Howard averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and finished first in the NBA in total rebounds, second in field goal percentage, and ninth in blocks. He was further recognized as one of the best players in the league when he was named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.^[17]

Leader of consecutive division champions (2007–2010)[link]

Howard contests a shot by Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers

Howard continued posting impressive numbers in the 2007–08 season; with free agent Rashard Lewis added to the ranks alongisde Hedo Türkoğlu to provide an extra offensive spark, this was the Magic's best season yet. Howard's strong and consistent play ensured that he was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and by the time the mid-season break arrived, he was leading the league in double doubles (he concluded the season with a league-high 69) and had recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game on five occasions (eight by the season's end).^[18][19] On February 16, 2008, he won the 2008 NBA slam dunk contest by receiving 78% of the fan's votes via text messaging or online voting; in that contest, he performed a series of innovative dunks said to have rejuvenated the contest, including donning a Superman cape for one of the dunks.^[20] Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs,^[19] and in the first-round match-up against the Toronto Raptors, Howard's dominance (three 20 point/20 rebound games) and point guard Jameer Nelson's strong play ensured that Orlando prevailed over five games.^[21] Howard's series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto frontcourt.^[22] In the next round against the Pistons, the Magic lost the first two road games before Howard's 20 point/12 rebound performance in Game 3 salvaged a home win.^[23] In that same week, the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time,^[19] and subsequently, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.^[24] Detroit played without their star point guard Chauncey Billups for Games 4 and 5, but Orlando was unable to capitalize on that and lost the series 4–1 to the veteran playoffs team.^[25]

The 2008–09 campaign began well for Howard. Ten games into the season, the center was leading the league in blocks per game (4.2) and even recorded his first triple-double: 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks.^[26] At the halfway point of the season, Howard was leading the league in rebounds and blocks, and was among the league leaders in field goal percentage. He garnered a record 3.1 million votes to earn the starting berth on the Eastern Conference team for the 2009 NBA All-Star game.^[27] On March 25, 2009, Howard led Orlando to its second straight Southeast Division title with 11 games of the regular season left to play,^[28] and eventually the third seed for the 2009 NBA Playoffs with a 59–23 record.^[29] On April 21, 2009, he became the youngest player ever to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, achieving a goal he had set for himself before the start of the season.^[6] The Magic went into the playoffs without its injured starting point guard Jameer Nelson, and in the first round against the 76ers, Howard recorded 24 points and 24 rebounds in Game 5 to give Orlando a 3–2 lead, before the Magic closed out the series in six games. On May 6, 2009, the center was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team,^[30] and a week later, to the All-NBA First Team.^[31]

Howard warming up before a game in 2010

In the second round of the playoffs against the defending champions Boston, the Magic blew a lead in Game 5 and Howard publicly questioned coach Stan Van Gundy's tactics and said that he should be given the ball more; in Game 6, the center posted 23 points and 22 rebounds to force the series into seven games.^[32] The Magic went on to defeat Boston, and then defeated Cleveland—which was led by league MVP LeBron James—4–2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Howard had a playoffs career-high 40 points to go with his 14 rebounds in the deciding Game 6, leading Orlando to its first NBA Finals in 14 years.^[33] The Los Angeles Lakers took the first two home games to establish a 2–0 lead in the Finals, before a home win by the Magic brought the score to 2–1. In Game 4, despite Howard putting up 21 rebounds and a Finals-record of 9 blocks in a game, the Magic lost in overtime.^[34] The Lakers went on to win Game 5, and the NBA Finals.^[35]

The Magic went into the 2009–10 season with one major roster change: Türkoğlu departed for the Toronto Raptors, while eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter arrived from the New Jersey Nets. As with the previous two seasons, the Magic got off to a strong start, winning 17 of their first 21 games, setting a franchise record in the process. He also picked up two Conference Player of the Week awards. On January 21, 2010, Howard was named as the starting center for the East in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.^[36] Not long after the Magic completed the regular season with 59 wins and their third consecutive division title, Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second straight year.^[37] He became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice—and for two years in a row.^[37] During the playoffs, the Magic defeated both Charlotte and Atlanta 4 games to none, in the first and second rounds respectively. In reaching the Conference Finals again, the Magic faced Boston—who had upset Cleveland in the Semifinals—Orlando lost the first three games, took the next two, but finally succumbed in Game 6.

Frustration (2010–present)[link]

Howard alongside Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs

In the 2010–11 regular season, Howard posted career-highs in points and shooting percentages, but the Magic were unable to win their division for the fourth straight year. Although the Miami Heat won the division, the Magic won 52 games, and finished as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, the Magic lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first-round of the playoffs.^[38] Howard led the NBA in technical fouls with 18 in the regular season, and received one-game suspensions after his 16th and 18th technicals.^[39]

Due to a lockout, the 2011–12 regular season was shortened to 66 games. Not long after the lockout ended, Howard, who was eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season, demanded a trade to either the New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks.^[40] Howard stated that although his preference was to remain in Orlando, he did not feel the Magic organization was doing enough to build a championship contender.^[41] He would later meet with Magic officials and agree to back off his trade demands, but that he also felt the team needed to make changes to the roster if they wanted to contend for a championship.^[42]

On January 12, 2012, Howard attempted an NBA record 39 free throws against the Golden State Warriors. Howard entered the game making 42 percent of his free throws for the season and just below 60 percent for his career. The Warriors hacked Howard intentionally throughout the game, and he broke Wilt Chamberlain's record of 34 set in 1962. Howard made 21 of the 39 attempts, and he finished with 45 points and 23 rebounds in the Magic's 117–109 victory.^[43] On January 24, 2012, Howard became the Magic's all-time scoring leader, surpassing Nick Anderson's 10,650 points.^[44]

On March 15, 2012, on the day of the trading deadline for the 2011–12 NBA season, Howard signed an amendment to his contract, waiving his right to opt out at the end of the season and committing to stay with the Magic through the 2012–13 season. He had previously asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets, and the Magic were prepared to trade him had Howard not signed the amendment, to avoid losing him as a free agent.^[45]

On April 19, 2012, Howard's agent said that Howard would undergo surgery to repair a hernitated disk in his back, and would miss the rest of the 2011–12 season, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.^[46]

Honors, awards and achievements[link]

Howard has amassed several NBA and franchise records and awards during his NBA career. He has led the league in rebounds per game three times, blocks per game twice, and double-doubles twice. He is also the youngest player in NBA history to reach one, two, three, four, five, six and seven thousand career rebounds, and the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding and blocks. Following Howard's 2009–10 season, he became the first NBA player ever to lead the league in total rebounds for five consecutive seasons. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's record of four from 1959–60–1962–63, and again from 1965–66–1968–69. He became the first player to lead the league in rebounding and blocks in consecutive seasons, and was also the first player ever to lead the league in rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage in the same season. On April 18, 2011, Howard won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, becoming the first player in league history to have won the award in three consecutive seasons.

Statistics[link]

Correct through 2011–12 regular season^[7]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

United States national team[link]

Medal record
Men's basketball
Competitor for the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2008 Beijing	Team competition
FIBA World Championship
Bronze	2006 Japan	Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold	2007 Las Vegas	Team competition

Howard at the 2008 Olympics

Howard was named on 5 March 2006 to the 2006–2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program.^[1] As the team's regular starting center, he helped lead the team to a 5–0 record during its pre-World Championship tour, and subsequently helped the team win the bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.^[1] During the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, Howard was on the team which won its first nine games en route to qualifying for the finals and a spot for the 2008 Olympics.^[57] He started in eight of those nine games, averaging 8.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg and led the team in shooting .778 from the field.^[58] In the finals, he made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points as the USA defeated Argentina to win the gold medal.^[59]

On June 23, 2008, Howard was named as one of the members of the 12-man squad representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.^[60] With Howard starting as center, Team USA won all of its games en route to the gold medal, breaking their drought of gold medals dating back to the 2000 Olympics.^[61] Howard averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the tournament.^[62]

Player profile[link]

Howard is considered the "franchise player" of the Magic.^[63][64] He led the NBA in rebounding for three consecutive seasons from 2007 to 2010. Howard's rebounding is in part facilitated by his extraordinary athleticism; his running vertical leap was tested at 39.5 inches in 2011, rare for a player of his size (6'11").^[65][66] He demonstrated this skill in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest, where he completed an alley oop dunk from teammate Jameer Nelson while slapping a sticker onto the backboard at 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) high.^[67] The sticker showed an image of his own smiling face with a handwritten "All things through Christ Phil: 4:13," a paraphrase of Philippians 4:13.^[68] Howard's leaping reach of 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) is the highest documented in NBA history, 1 inch (2.5 cm) higher than Shaquille O'Neal's previous record of 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m).^[65] As of April 2012, Howard's career average of 13.0 rebounds per game (in the regular season) ranked 12th in NBA history.^[69] He has also remained largely injury-free in his NBA career, playing in 351 consecutive games before missing his first game.^[70]

Howard's abilities and powerful physique have drawn attention from fellow NBA All-Stars. Tim Duncan once remarked in 2007: "[Howard] is so developed... He has so much promise and I am glad that I will be out of the league when he is peaking."^[71] Kevin Garnett echoed those sentiments: "[Howard] is a freak of nature, man... I was nowhere near that physically talented. I wasn't that gifted, as far as body and physical presence."^[71] Subsequent to a game in the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala said: "It's like he can guard two guys at once. He can guard his guy and the guy coming off the pick-and-roll, which is almost impossible to do... If he gets any more athletic or jumps any higher, they're going to have to change the rules."^[6] As early as December 2007, ESPN writer David Thorpe declared Howard to be the most dominant center in the NBA.^[72]

While many sports pundits have been rating Howard as one of the top young prospects in the NBA since 2006,^[66][73][74] Howard has some weaknesses in his game. Offensively, his shooting range remains limited; he is also mistake-prone, having led the NBA in total number of turnovers in the 2006–07 season.^[75] Like many centers, he has a low free throw conversion percentage.^[7] As a result, he is often a target of the Hack-a-Shaq defense and is annually among the league leaders in free throw attempts. During the 2007–08 regular season, Howard led the NBA with 897 free throw attempts while shooting only 59% from the free throw line.^[76] Also in that season, outside of layups and dunks, his shooting percentage was only 31.6%.^[22] In the 2008–09 season, he led the NBA again with 849 free throw attempts and in 2009–10, he was second in the NBA with 816.

Off the court[link]

Before he was drafted in 2004, Howard said that he wanted to use his NBA career and Christian faith to "raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world".^[77] He has stated he believes in reaching out to his community and fans and thus contributes substantially in the field of philanthropy.^[2] An avid listener of Gospel music, he attends the Fellowship of Faith Church when he is back home in Atlanta and is involved and active with the youth programs at the church.^[78] Together with his parents, Howard also established the Dwight D. Howard Foundation Inc. in 2004.^[79] The Foundation provides scholarships for students who want to attend his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School in Orlando, Florida.^[79] The Foundation also organizes summer basketball camps for boys and girls, and together with high school and college coaches and players, fellow NBA players are invited to be on hand at the camp.^[80] For his contributions in the Central Florida community, Howard received in 2005 the Rich and Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award.^[78] Within the NBA itself, Howard has participated in several NBA "Read to Achieve" assemblies encouraging children to make reading a priority.^[78] In November 2009, the center was named one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work.^[81] In 2009, Howard, along with several other NBA players, joined the Hoops for St. Jude charity program benefitting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.^[82]

Elsewhere, Howard appeared as a special guest on an episode of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired April 2, 2006, in which Ty Pennington and his team built a new home and ministry offices for Sadie Holmes, who operates a social services ministry in the Orlando area.^[83] He made another appearance on the show in the October 9, 2011 episode.

Along with Sam Worthington and Jonah Hill, Howard appeared in a commercial for the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.^[84]

On November 18, 2007, Howard's ex-girlfriend and former Magic dancer Royce Reed gave birth to their son, Braylon.^[85] Howard won a defamation judgment against Reed in 2010, when a Florida judge ruled that she violated a court order prohibiting her from mentioning him in the media.^[86] He had initially sought $550,500,000 in damages, claiming that she had disparaged him through Twitter and her appearances on the reality television show, Basketball Wives, as the couple's paternity agreement stipulated a $500 fine for each time she mentioned him in public.^[87]

Howard guest starred on an episode of Pair of Kings on April 9, 2012.^[88]

See also[link]

• List of career achievements by Dwight Howard
• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association season rebounding leaders
• List of National Basketball Association season blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Dwight Howard Official Site
• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com

Howard Stern
Stern at WXRK in New York City, 2000
Born	Howard Allan Stern (1954-01-12) January 12, 1954 (age 58) Jackson Heights, New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Radio personality, television host, author, actor, photographer
Years active	1975–present
Political party	Libertarian during 1994 Governor of New York campaign
Spouse	Alison Berns (1978–2001; div.) Beth Ostrosky Stern (2008–present)
Website
www.howardstern.com

Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio personality, television host, author, actor and photographer best known for his radio show which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style. Stern has been exclusive to Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service, since 2006. The son of a former recording and radio engineer, Stern wished to pursue a career in radio at the age of five. While at Boston University he worked at the campus station WTBU before a brief stint at WNTN in Newton, Massachusetts.

He developed his on-air personality when he landed positions at WRNW in Briarcliff Manor, WCCC in Hartford and WWWW in Detroit. In 1981, he was paired with his current newscaster and co-host Robin Quivers at WWDC in Washington, D.C. Stern then moved to WNBC in New York City in 1982 to host afternoons until his firing in 1985. He re-emerged on WXRK that year, and became one of the most popular radio personalities during his 20-year tenure at the station. Stern's show is the most-fined radio program, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued fines to station licensees for allegedly indecent material that totaled $2.5 million. Stern has won Billboard's Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year award eight times, and is one of the highest-paid figures in radio.^[1]

Stern describes himself as the King of All Media for his ventures outside radio. Since 1987, he has hosted numerous late night television shows, pay-per-view events and home video releases. He embarked on a five-month political campaign for Governor of New York in 1994. His two books, Private Parts (1993) and Miss America (1995), spent 20 and 16 weeks respectively on The New York Times Best Seller list. The former was adapted into Private Parts (1997), a biographical comedy film that starred Stern and his radio show staff that earned $41.2 million in domestic revenue. Stern performs on its soundtrack which topped the Billboard 200 chart.

Early life and education[link]

Stern graduated from the College of Public Communications at Boston University in 1976.

Stern was born on January 12, 1954 into a Jewish family who lived in Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City.^[2][3] His parents Ben and Ray (née Schiffman) are children of Austro-Hungarian immigrants, and his sister Ellen is four years older than he.^[2] The family moved to the hamlet of Roosevelt on Long Island in 1955,^[4] where Stern developed an interest in radio at five years of age.^[5] While Ray was a homemaker and later an inhalation therapist,^[6][7] Ben was a co-owner of Aura Recording, Inc., a recording studio in Manhattan where cartoons and commercials were produced.^[8] When he made occasional visits with his father, Stern witnessed actors Wally Cox, Don Adams and Larry Storch voice his favorite cartoon characters,^[9][10] which influenced him to later talk on the air rather than play records.^[11] Ben was also an engineer at WHOM, a radio station in Manhattan.^[8] On completion of sixth grade, Stern left Washington-Rose Elementary School for Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School.^[12] In June 1969, the family moved to nearby Rockville Centre and Stern transferred to South Side High School.^[13]

Stern spent the first two of four years at Boston University in the College of Basic Studies.^[14] In 1973, he started to work at WTBU, the campus radio station where he spun records, read the news, and hosted interviews.^[14] He also hosted a comedy program with three fellow students called The King Schmaltz Bagel Hour.^[15] Stern gained admission to the School of Public Communications in 1974^[16] and earned a diploma in July 1975 at the Radio Engineering Institute of Electronics in Fredericksburg, Virginia which allowed him to apply for a first class FCC radio-telephone license.^[17][18] With the license, Stern made his professional debut at WNTN in Newton, Massachusetts, performing airshift, newscasting and production duties between August and December 1975.^[19] He graduated magna cum laude from Boston University in May 1976 with a degree in Communications^[3][14] and now funds a scholarship at the university.^[20]

Career[link]

Early professional radio career (1976–1981)[link]

After his graduation in 1976, Stern declined an offer to work evenings at WRNW, a progressive rock station in Briarcliff Manor, Westchester County, New York.^[21] He was unsure of his talent, and questioned his future in the professional industry. Stern took creative and media planning roles at Benton & Bowles, a New York advertising agency, followed by a job in selling radio time to advertisers.^[22] He realized the mistake of declining on-air work and contacted WRNW a second time where he agreed to work covering shifts over the Christmas holiday period.^[19][23] Stern was hired full time in 1977 and worked a four-hour midday shift, six days per week a $96 weekly salary.^[17] He subsequently worked as the station's production and program director for an increased salary of $250.^[19][24]

In 1979, Stern spotted an advertisement for a "wild, fun morning guy" at rock station WCCC in Hartford, Connecticut.^[25] He submitted a more outrageous audition tape with Robert Klein and Cheech and Chong records mixed with flatulence routines and one-liners.^[26] Stern was hired with no change in salary with a more intense schedule. After four hours on the air he voiced and produced commercials for another four. On Saturdays, following a six-hour show, he did production work for the next three. As the station's public affairs director he also hosted a Sunday morning talk show which he favoured.^[27] In the summer of the 1979 energy crisis, Stern held a two-day boycott of Shell Oil Company which attracted media attention.^[28] Stern left WCCC a year later after he was declined a pay increase.^[29] Fred Norris, the overnight disc jockey, has been Stern's producer and writer since 1981.^[30]

Management at rock outlet WWWW in Detroit, Michigan praised Stern's audition tape in their search for a new morning man.^[31] Stern was hired for the job which he started on April 21, 1980.^[13] He learned to become more open on the air and "decided to cut down the barriers...strip down all the ego...and be totally honest", he later told Newsday.^[32] His efforts earned him a Billboard award for "Album-Oriented Rock Personality of the Year For a Major Market" and the Drake-Chenault "Top Five Talent Search" title.^[33][34] The station however, ran into problems after Stern's quarterly Arbitron ratings had decreased while it struggled to compete with its stronger rock competitors. In January 1981, WWWW switched to a country music format much to Stern's dislike, who left the station soon after.^[35] He received offers to work at WXRT in Chicago and CHUM in Toronto, but did not take them.^[34][36]

Washington and WNBC New York (1981–1985)[link]

Stern moved to Washington, D.C. to host mornings at rock station WWDC on March 2, 1981.^[37][38] He wanted to develop his show further, and looked for a co-worker with a sense of humor to riff with on news and current events.^[39] The station paired Stern with Robin Quivers, a newscaster and consumer affairs reporter from WFBR in Baltimore.^[40] Though he felt restricted and controlled by management who enforced a strict format, Stern had the second highest rated morning radio program in January 1982.^[41][42] Impressed with his ratings success, NBC approached Stern with an offer to work afternoons at WNBC in New York City. After Stern signed a five-year contract worth $1 million in March,^[43] his relationship with WWDC management worsened,^[44] and his contract with the station was terminated on June 25. He had more than tripled the station's morning ratings during his stay.^[45] In its July issue The Washingtonian named Stern the area's best disc jockey.^[46] Stern released 50 Ways to Rank Your Mother, a comedy album of his radio bits. The record was re-released as Unclean Beaver in November 1994.^[47]

On April 2, 1982, a news report by Douglas Kiker on raunch radio featuring Stern aired on NBC Magazine.^[48] The piece stimulated discussion among NBC management to withdraw Stern's contract. When he began his afternoon program in September,^[49] management closely monitored Stern, telling him to avoid talk of a sexual and religious nature.^[50] In his first month, Stern was suspended for several days for "Virgin Mary Kong", a segment featuring a video game where a group of men pursued the Virgin Mary around a singles bar in Jerusalem.^[48] An attorney was hired to man a "dump button", and cut Stern off the microphone should potentially offensive areas be discussed. This became the task of program director Kevin Metheny, who Stern nicknamed "Pig Virus".^[48] On May 21, 1984, Stern made his first appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, launching him into the national spotlight.^[13] A year later he claimed the highest ratings at WNBC in four years with a 5.7% market share.^[51]

On September 30, 1985, Stern and Quivers were fired for what management termed "conceptual differences" regarding the show.^[52] "Over the course of time, we made a very conscious effort to make Stern aware that certain elements of the program should be changed...I don't think it's appropriate to say what those specifics were",^[53] said program director John Hayes, who Stern nicknamed "The Incubus". In 1992, Stern believed Thornton Bradshaw, chairman of WNBC's owner RCA, heard his "Bestiality Dial-a-Date" segment and ordered his firing.^[50] Stern and Quivers kept in touch with their audience throughout October and November where they toured club venues with a stage show.^[52]

K-Rock, early television endeavors and Fartman (1985–1992)[link]

Stern signed a contract with Infinity Broadcasting worth around $500,000^[54] and returned to afternoons on its New York rock station WXRK on November 18, 1985.^[52] The show moved to mornings on February 18, 1986 and entered national syndication on August 18 when WYSP in Philadelphia first simulcast the program.^[52] In October 1992, Stern became the first to have the number one morning radio show in New York and Los Angeles simultaneously.^[55] In the New York market The Howard Stern Show was the highest-rated morning program for seven consecutive years between 1994 and 2001.^[56] In 1994, Billboard magazine added the "Nationally Syndicated Air Personality of the Year" category to its annual radio awards based on entertainment value, creativity and ratings success.^[57] Stern was awarded the title from 1994 to 2002.^[58][59]

In May 1987, Stern recorded five television pilots for Fox when the network planned to replace The Late Show hosted by Joan Rivers.^[60] The series was never picked up; one executive having described the show as "poorly produced", "in poor taste" and "boring".^[61] Stern hosted his first pay-per-view event on February 27, 1988 named Howard Stern's Negligeé and Underpants Party.^[52] Over 60,000 homes purchased the two-hour special that grossed $1.2 million.^[62] On September 7, 1989, over 16,000 fans packed out Nassau Coliseum for Howard Stern's U.S. Open Sores, a live event that featured a tennis match between Stern and his radio show producer, Gary Dell'Abate.^[52] Both events were released for home video. From 1990 to 1992, Stern was the host of The Howard Stern Show, a Saturday night program on WWOR-TV. The series ran for 69 episodes to 65 markets nationwide.^[63] In February 1991, Stern released Crucified by the FCC, a collection of censored radio segments following the first fine issued to Infinity by the FCC over alleged indecency.^[64] He released a third video tape, Butt Bongo Fiesta, in October 1992 that sold 260,000 copies for a gross of over $10 million.^[64][65] He returned to Saturday night television that November with The Howard Stern "Interview", a one-on-one celebrity interview series on E!.^{[citation needed]}

Stern appeared at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards as Fartman, a fictional superhero that first appeared in the National Lampoon humor magazine series. According to the trademark he filed for the character that October, he first used Fartman in July 1981.^[66] Stern rejected multiple scripts for a proposed summer 1993 release of The Adventures of Fartman until a verbal agreement was reached with New Line Cinema.^[67] Screenwriter J. F. Lawton had prepared a script before relations soured over the film's rating, content and merchandising rights and the project was abandoned.^[68][69]

[edit] Private Parts, E! show and run for Governor (1993–1994)

In 1993, Stern signed a $1 million advance contract with Simon & Schuster to publish his first book.^[70] Co-authored with Larry Sloman and edited by Judith Regan, the release of Private Parts on October 7 saw its first printing of 225,000 copies being sold within hours of going on sale. It became the fastest-selling title in the history of Schuster after five days.^[71] In its eighth printing two weeks later, over one million copies had been distributed.^[65][70] Stern embarked on a book signing tour that attracted an estimated 10,000 fans at a Barnes & Noble store on Fifth Avenue in New York.^[70] In its first run, Private Parts spent 20 weeks on The New York Times Best-Seller list.^[72] Stern has written forewords for Steal This Dream (1998), a biography of Abbie Hoffman, Disgustingly Dirty Joke Book (1998) by Jackie Martling, Too Fat to Fish (2008) by Artie Lange, and Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons: Tales of Redemption from an Irish Mailbox (2010) by Greg Fitzsimmons.

Stern hosted his second pay-per-view event, The Miss Howard Stern New Year's Eve Pageant, on December 31, 1993. It broke the subscriber record for a non-sports event previously held by a New Kids on the Block concert in 1990.^[65] Around 400,000 households purchased the event that grossed an estimated $16 million.^[73] Stern released the program on VHS in early 1994 as Howard Stern's New Year's Rotten Eve 1994. Between his book royalties and pay-per-view profits, Stern's earnings in the latter months of 1993 totalled around $7.5 million.^[74] In its 20th anniversary issue in 1993, Radio & Records named Stern the most influential air personality of the past two decades.^[75]

On March 21, 1994, Stern announced his candidacy for Governor of New York under the Libertarian Party ticket, challenging Mario Cuomo for re-election.^[76] He planned to reinstate the death penalty, stagger highway tolls to improve traffic flow, and limit road work to night hours.^[77] At the party's nomination convention in Albany on April 23, Stern won the required two-thirds majority on the first ballot, receiving 287 of the 381 votes cast (75.33%). James Ostrowski finished second with 34 votes (8.92%).^[78] To place his name on the November ballot, Stern was obliged to state his home address and to complete a financial disclosure form under the Ethics in Government Act of 1987. After declining to disclose his financial information, Stern was denied an injunction on August 2.^[79] He withdrew his candidacy two days later. Cuomo was defeated in the gubernatorial election on November 8 by George Pataki, who Stern backed. Pataki signed "The Howard Stern Bill" that limited construction on state roads to night hours in New York and Long Island, in 1995.^[80]

In June 1994, robotic cameras were installed at WXRK studios to film The Howard Stern Show for a condensed half-hour show on E!.^[81] Howard Stern ran for 11 years until the last taped episode aired on July 8, 2005.^[82] In conjunction with his move to satellite radio, Stern launched Howard Stern on Demand, a subscription video-on-demand service, on November 18.^[83] The service was relaunched as Howard TV on March 16, 2006.^[84]

[edit] Miss America and Private Parts film (1995–1997)

On April 3, 1995, three days after the shooting of singer Selena, Stern's comments regarding her death and Mexican Americans caused an uproar in the Hispanic community. He criticized her music and gunfire sound effects were played over her songs. "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul...Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth".^[85] On April 6, Stern responded with a statement in Spanish, stressing his comments were made in satire and not intended to hurt those who loved her.^[86] A day later, Justice of the Peace Eloy Cano of Harlingen, Texas issued an arrest warrant on Stern for disorderly conduct.^[87]

In 1995, Stern signed a deal with ReganBooks worth $3 million to write his second book, Miss America.^[88] He wrote about his cybersex experiences on the Prodigy service, a private meeting with Michael Jackson, and his suffering with obsessive-compulsive disorder.^[89] Released on November 7, the book sold 33,000 copies at Barnes & Noble stores on the same day which set a new one-day record.^[90] Publishers Weekly reported over 1.39 million copies were sold by the year's end and ranked it the third best-selling book of 1995.^[91] Miss America spent a total of 16 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list.^[72]

Production for a film adaptation of Private Parts began in May 1996 with all shooting complete in four months.^[92] Its premiere was held at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden on February 27, 1997, where Stern performed "The Great American Nightmare" with Rob Zombie.^[93] Making its general release on March 7, Private Parts topped the box office sales in its opening weekend with a gross of $14.6 million, and went on to earn a total of $41.2 million in domestic gross revenue.^[94] The film holds a "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a website that aggregates film reviews. 79% of critics gave Private Parts a positive review based on a sample of 48 reviews, with an average score of 6.6 out of 10.^[95] For his performance, Stern won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for "Favorite Male Newcomer" and was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Comedy)" and a Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst New Star".^{[citation needed]} The soundtrack to Private Parts sold 178,000 copies in its first week of release, topping the Billboard 200 chart.^[96]

Stern filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against Ministry of Film Inc. in October 1997, claiming it recruited him for a film titled Jane starring Melanie Griffith while knowing it had insufficient funds. Stern, who was unpaid when production ceased, accused the studio of breach of contract, fraud and negligent representation.^[97] A settlement was reached in 1999 with Stern receiving $50,000.^[98]

Return to Saturday night television and productions (1998–2004)[link]

In August 1998, Stern returned to Saturday night television with The Howard Stern Radio Show.^[99] Broadcast across the country on CBS affiliates, it featured radio show highlights along with material unseen in his nightly E! show. The show competed for ratings with comedy shows Saturday Night Live on NBC and MADtv on Fox. Concerned with its risqué content, affiliates began to leave the show after two episodes.^[100] Making its launch on 79 stations on August 22, 1998, this number was reduced to 55 by June 1999.^[101] A total of 84 episodes were broadcast.^{[citation needed]} The final re-run aired on November 17, 2001, to around 30 markets.^[102][103]

In 1994, Stern launched the Howard Stern Production Company for original and joint production and development ventures. He intended to make a film adaptation of Brother Sam, the biography of the late comedian Sam Kinison.^[104] In September 1999, UPN announced the production of Doomsday, an animated science-fiction comedy series executively produced by Stern.^[105] Originally set for a 2000 release, Stern starred as Orinthal, a family dog.^[106] The project was eventually abandoned. From 2000 to 2002, Stern was the executive producer of Son of the Beach, a sitcom which ran for three seasons on FX. In late 2001, Howard Stern Productions was reportedly developing a new sitcom titled Kane.^[107] The pilot episode was never filmed. In 2002, Stern acquired the rights to comedy films Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) and Porky's (1982). He filed a $100 million lawsuit in March 2003 against ABC and the producers of Are You Hot?, claiming the series was based on his radio segment called "The Evaluators". A settlement was reached on August 7.^[108]

Stern announced in early 2004 of talks with ABC to host a prime time interview special, which never materialized. In August 2004, cable channel Spike picked up 13 episodes of Howard Stern: The High School Years, a second animated series Stern was to executive produce.^[109] On November 14, 2005, Stern announced the completion of episode scripts and 30 seconds of test animations.^[110] Stern eventually gave the project up. In 2007, he explained the episodes could have been produced "on the cheap" at $300,000 each, though the quality he demanded would have cost over $1 million.^[111] Actor Michael Cera was cast as the lead voice.^[112]

[edit] Satellite radio and America's Got Talent (2004–present)

Following Stern's move to Sirius, he assembled the Howard 100 News team.

On October 6, 2004, Stern announced the signing of a five-year contract with Sirius Satellite Radio, a medium free from FCC regulations, that started in January 2006.^[113] His decision to leave terrestrial radio occurred in the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February that caused a crackdown on perceived indecency in broadcasting. The incident prompted tighter control over content by station owners and managers to which Stern felt "dead inside" creatively.^[114] Stern hosted his final broadcast on terrestrial airwaves on December 16, 2005.^[115] During his 20 years at WXRK his show had syndicated in 60 markets^[116][117] across the United States and Canada and gained a peak audience of 20 million listeners.^{[118][119][120]}

With an annual budget of $100 million for all production, staff and programming costs, Stern launched two channels on Sirius in 2005 named Howard 100 and Howard 101. He assembled the Howard 100 News team that covered stories about his show and those associated with it, and a new dedicated studio was constructed at Sirius' headquarters in New York.^[121] On January 9, 2006, the day of his first broadcast, Stern and his agent received 34.3 million shares of stock from the company worth $218 million for exceeding subscriber targets set in 2004.^[122] A second stock incentive was paid in 2007, with Stern receiving 22 million shares worth $82.9 million.^[123]

On February 28, 2006, CBS Radio (formerly Infinity Broadcasting) filed a lawsuit against Stern, his agent and Sirius. The suit claimed Stern had misused CBS broadcast time to promote Sirius for unjust enrichment during the last 14 months of his terrestrial radio contract.^[124][125] In a press conference held hours before the suit was filed, Stern said it was nothing more than a "personal vendetta" against him by CBS president Leslie Moonves.^[126] A settlement was reached on May 25, with Sirius paying $2 million to CBS for control of Stern's 20-year broadcast archives.^[127] In the same month, Time magazine included Stern in its Time 100 list.^[128] He also ranked seventh in Forbes' Celebrity 100 list in June 2006,^[129] and reappeared in 2011 at number 26.^[130]

Stern signed a new contract with Sirius to continue his show for five more years in December 2010.^[131] Following the agreement, Stern and his agent filed a lawsuit against Sirius on March 22, 2011, for allegedly failing to pay stock bonuses promised to them from the past four years while helping the company exceed subscriber growth targets. Sirius said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the suit.^[132] On April 17, 2012, New York Judge Barbara Kapnick "granted a SiriusXM motion for summary judgment, dismissing the lawsuit."^[133]

In May, Stern announced that he would be broadcasting on a reduced schedule, alternating between three-day and four-day working weeks.^[134] On December 15, 2011, Stern announced that he will replace Piers Morgan as a judge for the seventh season of America's Got Talent. Filming will take place in Newark, New Jersey at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and began in February 2012.^[135]

FCC fines[link]

From 1990 to 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined owners of radio stations that carried The Howard Stern Show a total of $3.2 million for indecent programming.^[136]

Personal life[link]

Stern and Beth Ostrosky in 2011

Stern married his first wife, Alison (née Berns),^[137] on June 4, 1978 at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Massachusetts.^[138] They have three daughters: Emily Beth (b. 1983), Debra Jennifer (b. 1986) and Ashley Jade (b. 1993).^[139] On October 22, 1999, Stern announced their decision to separate.^[140] The marriage ended in 2001 with an amicable divorce and settlement.^[137] In 2000, Stern began to date model Beth Ostrosky Stern, co-host of Casino Cinema from 2004 to 2007.^{[citation needed]} She also frequently appeared in the American edition of FHM.^[141] On February 14, 2007 Stern announced their engagement.^[137] They married on October 3, 2008, at Le Cirque restaurant in New York City.^[142]

While attending Boston University, Stern developed an interest in Transcendental Meditation, which he practices to this day.^[143] He credits it with aiding him in quitting smoking and achieving his goals in radio.^[144] Stern interviewed the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the technique, twice.^{[citation needed]} Stern also plays on the Internet Chess Club, and has taken lessons from chess master Dan Heisman, although he has recently claimed to have quit playing. Howard's latest passion is photography, where he does private shoots for friends and secured his first paid 'gig' shooting a layout for Hamptons magazine in July 2011.^[145][146] Stern has also shot photographs for WHIRL magazine and the North Shore Animal League.^[147][148] Stern is frequently listed among the most influential contemporary Americans. In 2011, he was rated Forbes Magazines' 49th Most Powerful Celebrity.^[149]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Home video releases[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]