Andrew Bynum

No. 17 – Los Angeles Lakers
Center
Personal information
Born	(1987-10-27) October 27, 1987 (age 24) Plainsboro, New Jersey
Nationality	American
High school	Solebury School St. Joseph (New Jersey) West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	285 lb (129 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	2005–present
Career history
2005–present	Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA Champion (2009, 2010) All-NBA Second Team (2012) NBA All-Star (2012)
Stats at NBA.com

Andrew Bynum (born October 27, 1987) is an American professional basketball center who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has won two NBA Championships with the Lakers, and he was a first-time All-Star in 2012. Bynum was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Lakers.^[1][2] He became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year. Amidst the 2007–08 season, he suffered an injury on his left kneecap and eventually missed the rest of the season and all of the playoffs. He made a successful return at the beginning of the 2008–09 season. In January 2009, however, he suffered another injury, this time to his right knee. He was able to come back before the playoffs started and was part of the Lakers squad that won the 2009 NBA championship. In the 2010 post-season, Bynum played in every single playoff game with a torn meniscus and strained Achilles tendon and the Lakers repeated as NBA champions against the Boston Celtics.

Early years[link]

Bynum was born in Plainsboro, New Jersey.^[3] His parents, Ernest Bynum and Janet McCoy, divorced when he was one year old.^[4] He spent summers visiting his father in North Carolina. Bynum has one older brother, Corey.^[5][6]

High school[link]

Bynum attended St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, New Jersey during his junior and senior year. For most of his freshman year, he attended West Windsor Plainsboro High School North located in Plainsboro, NJ. For the remainder of his freshman year and his sophomore year he attended Solebury School in Solebury, PA.^[7] He was in the 2005 McDonald's All-American game where he tallied 9 points and 5 rebounds.^[8] In his junior year of high school Bynum averaged 16.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 6.0 blocks. As a senior, he averaged 22.4 points, 16.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per game.^[9] During his junior and senior year at St. Joseph High School, Bynum finished his high school career averaging 19.2 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks in 32 appearances.^[10] He originally planned to attend the University of Connecticut; however, the 17-year-old made the decision to go directly into the NBA and made himself eligible for the 2005 NBA Draft,^[11] where he was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA career[link]

Rookie season[link]

Bynum playing in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.

In the 2005 NBA Draft, Bynum was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. At age &1000000000000001700000017 years, &10000000000000244000000244 days, Bynum was 12 days younger than former Indiana Pacers player and current Boston Celtics center, Jermaine O'Neal, the previous youngest player drafted by an NBA team.^[12] After selecting him in the draft, the Lakers hired Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to work with Bynum.^[13] On November 2, 2005, during the Lakers' season opener against the Denver Nuggets, Bynum played six minutes and became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game at age &1000000000000001800000018 years, &100000000000000060000006 days.^[2][14] During the game, he missed his two field goal attempts but had two rebounds and two blocks.^[15] In his second season, Bynum was still the youngest player in the league,^[16] due to his draft year being the last that a player could be drafted straight out of high school.

In a game against the Miami Heat on January 15, 2006, Bynum matched up against former Laker center Shaquille O'Neal for the first time. At one point, O'Neal dunked over Bynum on a putback attempt. On the next play, Bynum spun past O'Neal and dunked the ball. He then ran down the court and shoved O'Neal with his elbow, who retaliated by elbowing Bynum's upper chest. Teammate Kobe Bryant quickly stepped in between the two. Both Bynum and O'Neal received technical fouls for the incident.^[17]

Bynum showed flashes of dominance but was far from consistent. He had then-career highs of 16 rebounds and seven blocks on January 26, 2006 against the Charlotte Bobcats. His first career double-double on November 7 included a career-high 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he had 19 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks on January 5 against Denver Nuggets.

2006–07 season[link]

With Lakers centers Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown injured at the start of the 2006–07,^[13] Bynum served as their starting center. Bynum scored 18 points and had 9 rebounds in 24 minutes against the Phoenix Suns on October 31, 2006, making seven of his eleven attempts from the field. He appeared in 82 games and started 53 and finished the season with averages of 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds, in just over 21 minutes per game. He also averaged 1.6 blocks per game.^[18] During the season, the New Jersey Nets were interested in acquiring Bynum for Jason Kidd.^[19]

After the season, Coach Pete Newell was impressed with Bynum's development, and stated that teammate Kobe Bryant should back off on his negative treatment of Bynum on the court.^[20] Bryant was also shown on an infamous amateur video saying that center Bynum should have been traded for Kidd.^[21][22] The Indiana Pacers also made a trade offer for Bynum.^[23] The Lakers would exercise a fourth-year contract option on Bynum.^[24]

2007–08 season[link]

Bynum on a slam dunk.

Bynum's helped the Lakers start to a 26–11 record, which was at the time the best record in the Pacific Division. Bynum played 35 games and started in 25 games during the season. On Christmas Day against the Phoenix Suns, he made 11-of-13 shots for 28 points to complement 12 boards, 4 assists and 2 blocks.

On January 13, 2008, he suffered an injury during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum partially dislocated his left kneecap when he landed awkwardly on teammate Lamar Odom's left foot while attempting to grab a rebound.^[25] In March, there were reports that he could return before the end of the 2007–08 season or the first round of the playoffs;^[26][27] however, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that he did not foresee Bynum making serious contributions any time soon in April.^[28] In May, rumors about his return were put to rest when Bynum underwent arthroscopic surgery on his kneecap.^[29] Bynum finished the season with averages of 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks and a .636 field goal percentage.

In September 2008, Bynum said that he was 100% healthy and was ready to participate in training camp, which was scheduled to begin at the end of the month, after working with his trainer.^[30] On October 30, 2008, he agreed to sign a 4 year, $58 million contract with the Lakers.^[31]

2008–09 season[link]

Bynum set a new career high in scoring with 42 points to go along with 15 rebounds (8 offensive) and 3 blocked shots on January 21, 2009 against the Los Angeles Clippers.^[32] On the next night, January 22, versus the Washington Wizards he scored 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds.^[33] During a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on January 27, 2009, in a double overtime loss against the Charlotte Bobcats, Bynum committed a flagrant foul, fracturing the rib and subsequently collapsing the lung of Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats.^[34] While playing against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 31, 2009, Kobe Bryant had an off balanced shot, fell and collided with Bynum's right knee, resulting in a right knee sprain. On February 2, 2009 it was revealed that Bynum had suffered a torn MCL in his right knee and would be out 8–12 weeks. This was the second straight year that Bynum had suffered a knee injury against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bynum had averaged 26 points and 14 rebounds in his previous five games, posting five straight double-doubles.^[35]

On April 9, 2009, Bynum returned in a home game against the Denver Nuggets. He went 0–2 in the first half, but finished with 7–11 by the end of the game. With the 21 minutes that he played, Bynum scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.^[36] Bynum and the Lakers would go on to win the 2009 NBA Finals.

2009–10 season[link]

In the 2010 NBA playoffs, Bynum injured his knee in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.^[37] However, he kept on playing, and the Lakers won their second championship in a row.^[38] Postponing surgery until after the playoffs, Bynum appeared in all 23 of the Lakers' playoff games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds. Teammate Pau Gasol called Bynum's "tenacity remarkable. He gave his best. He sacrificed himself in order to help the team and have a better chance to win the championship."^[39]

Before having surgery on his knee, Bynum attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and vacationed in Europe.^[40] "It's not the most serious (injury)," Bynum said of his torn meniscus. "I'm going to get it taken care of, and then everything is supposed to be cool."^[39] Bynum underwent surgery on July 28.^[40]

2010–11 season[link]

Bynum and teammate Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) watch a shot along with Manny Harris.

A longer than expected recovery period was needed for Bynum's surgery that caused him to miss the beginning of the 2010–11 NBA season. Bynum gave the Lakers advance notice hours, not weeks, before the opening of training camp. He acknowledged that his doctor told him in advance that he might need more repair to the knee based on findings once the surgery began. Bynum said he would make the same decision again to delay the surgery until after his vacation, even with the knowledge that it would cost him a portion of the upcoming regular season.^[41] Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register and Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated criticized Bynum for his summer activities and not expecting complications based on his history with injuries and recovery time.^[41][42]

Bynum came off the bench in his first game of the season on December 14 in a 103–89 win over the Wizards. He finished with 17 minutes, 1-of-5 from the field, seven points, four rebounds and two blocks. "I feel light-years better than back [in Game 7 of 2010 NBA Finals]," he said.^[43] In his first 24 games played during the season, Bynum averaged 24.6 minutes per game and 27.4 minutes in 17 games as a starter. Jackson was limiting Bynum's minutes in an attempt to minimize his risk of injury.^[44] At the All-Star break, Jackson discussed with Bynum his primary role to defend and rebound—not score. It was a role Bynum had previously resisted.^[45] On March 8, Bynum had his third straight game with at least 16 rebounds and had 50 rebounds and 12 blocks in that span.^[46][47] As the Lakers went 8–0 after the All-Star break, Bynum had 10 or more rebounds five times and blocked three or more shots four times while the Lakers held opponents to just 87 points per game. The Lakers revised their defense to have big men no longer were responsible for the perimeter against guards coming off screens, and Lakers' defenders would instead funnel the plays inside to Bynum.^[48] On March 14, Bynum tied his career high in rebounds with 18 against Dwight Howard and the Magic.^[49] On March 20, Bynum was suspended for two games by the NBA for a flagrant foul on Michael Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves. On April 5, in a loss to the Utah Jazz, he grabbed a career high 23 rebounds. On April 12 against the San Antonio Spurs, Bynum hyper-extended his right knee ^[50] A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam revealed he had a bruised knee, and he missed the last game of the regular season.^[51] Bynum ended the season averaging 11 points, 12 rebounds and 2.4 blocks after the All-Star break.^[45] He returned to the lineup for the start of the playoffs.^[52] After the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, 4–2, Hornets head coach Monty Williams said, "Kobe's Kobe, but I thought Bynum decided the series. He was that good."^[53]

In the Lakers' second-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, Bynum was ejected in the final game of the Mavericks' four-game sweep for a flagrant foul on J.J. Barea moments after teammate Lamar Odom was ejected for fouling Dirk Nowitzki. Bynum's actions were condemned by the sports news media, and on May 10, he was suspended four games for the next season and fined $25,000.^[54][55]

2011–12 season[link]

Bynum playing at a game in March 2012.

In his first game of the season after serving his suspension, Bynum scored 29 points on 13 for 18 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 92-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets.^[56] On January 3 against the Houston Rockets, Bynum had 21 points and 22 rebounds in the first 20-20 game of his career.^[57] He was selected as a starter to his first All-Star Game.^[58] Bynum was awarded Western Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time of his young career for games played Monday, March 12, through Sunday, March 18. He led the Lakers to a 3-1 week, leading the West in rebounding (14.8 rpg) and placed second in scoring (27.5) while shooting .665 from the field (fourth in the Conference).^[59] On April 11, 2012, Bynum grabbed a career and an NBA season-high 30 rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs to become only the fifth Lakers player ever to register at least 30 rebounds in a single game.^[60][61] Bynum finished the regular season with career highs in minutes per game (tied NBA 24th overall), rebounds per game (NBA 3rd overall), and points per game (NBA 20th overall). He also finished with the 3rd highest field-goal percentage in the league and 6th overall in blocks per game. Bynum ended the season tied with Oklahoma City All-Star guard Russell Westbrook at 10th overall in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) with a PER of 23.00.^[62] Bynum only missed one game the entire season due to injury (ankle).^[63][64]

In a 103–88 win against Denver in the opening game of the playoffs, Bynum had a triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. The blocked shots broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record of nine, and tied the NBA playoff record set by Mark Eaton and Hakeem Olajuwon.^[65] After the Lakers led the series 3–1, Bynum said, "Close-out games are actually kind of easy."^[66] The Lakers eventually won the series 4–3 with Bynum contributing a career playoff-high 18 rebounds in Game 7.^[67]

NBA career statistics[link]

Correct as of May 21, 2012

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association players with most rebounds in a game
• List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Andrew Bynum on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons
	Quotations from Wikiquote

• The Official Website of Andrew Bynum
• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com, or ESPN.com

JaVale McGee

McGee with the Wizards
No. 34 – Denver Nuggets
Center/Power Forward
Personal information
Born	(1988-01-19) January 19, 1988 (age 24) Flint, Michigan
Nationality	American
High school	Detroit Country Day, Providence Christian, Hales Franciscan
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	252 lb (114 kg)
Career information
College	Nevada
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall
Selected by the Washington Wizards
Pro career	2008–present
Career history
2008–2012	Washington Wizards
2012–present	Denver Nuggets
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

JaVale McGee (born January 19, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected 18th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft.

High school and college[link]

McGee was born in Flint, Michigan, and attended two high schools in Michigan: Detroit Country Day and Providence Christian, before transferring to Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago.^[1] McGee was the starting center for the University of Nevada. According to Hales Franciscan coach Gary London, McGee's natural position in college was ideally small forward, and that he could play both forward spots.^[1] After his sophomore campaign, in which he averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, shooting 53 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range, McGee decided to hire an agent and declare for the 2008 NBA Draft.^[2]

NBA[link]

McGee was selected 18th overall by the Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft. On July 9, 2008, he signed a two-year, $2.4 million deal with the Wizards.^[3]

On January 9, 2010, McGee was fined $10,000 by the Washington Wizards for participating in Gilbert Arenas' antics before a game on January 5, 2010 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Arenas was being investigated for a prior incident involving guns in the Wizards' locker room, but made light of the accusations by pointing his finger at his teammates, as if he were shooting them. His teammates were photographed smiling and laughing with him.^[4]

On January 6, 2011, McGee was chosen to participate in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.^[5] McGee was the first Wizard to ever participate in the contest. He finished in second place, losing to Blake Griffin. He was the first player to use three balls at one time in a dunk contest, which was later cited by the Guinness World Records as the most basketballs dunked in a single jump. The third ball was passed to him from teammate John Wall.

On March 15, 2011, in a 98–79 loss against the Chicago Bulls, McGee notched his first career triple-double, recording 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 blocks. His career high 12 blocks was the most since Keon Clark had 12 on March 23, 2001.^[6] However, he was criticized^{[according to whom?]} for taking ill-advised shots in the fourth quarter to ensure he reached 10 points while his team was being blown out, and even received a technical foul for excessive celebration by pulling himself on the rim after a dunk for his final points. In response to the criticism, McGee said, "I got a triple-double. Who can say they got a triple-double? I’m not really worried about it."^[7] McGee became known for his eccentric playing style, which sometimes resulted in uncommon plays. McGee averaged over 8 rebounds and 10 points over the 2011 and 2012 seasons^[8] with the Wizards.

On March 15, 2012, McGee was traded to the Denver Nuggets along with Ronny Turiaf in a deal that sent Nenê to the Wizards.^[9] As a member of the Wizards, he started 40 of 41 games in which he appeared; with the Nuggets, he would start in 5 of 20 games in which he appeared. His minutes would also be reduced, averaging 27.4 with Washington but 20.6 with Denver.^[10] The trade also put him with a team in contention for a playoff bid, and when the Nuggets earned the West's sixth seed, McGee appeared in the playoffs for the first time in his career. McGee's series-high was 21 points in Game 5 against first-round opponent Los Angeles Lakers.^[11] McGee's numbers were up and down throughout the series, including Game 7, when he scored just 2 points on 1-7 shooting in a bit more than 31 minutes of floor time.^[12]

International[link]

McGee received an invite to the United States men's national basketball team's mini camp in the summer of 2009 and again in the summer of 2010.^[13] McGee played with Team USA in a scrimmage at Radio City Music Hall during the 2010 World Basketball Festival^[14] but after an uneven performance he did not play in the team's scrimmage against China at Madison Square Garden and was cut on August 15, 2010.^[15]

McGee visited the Philippines twice during the 2011 NBA lockout, first in exhibition games with NBA stars against players from the Philippine Basketball Association and the Smart Gilas national team, and then in a basketball clinic. McGee was later mentioned as a naturalization candidate for the Philippine national team.^[16]

Personal[link]

His father, 6'10" George Montgomery, was a 1985 second-round draft selection by the Portland Trail Blazers.^[1] His mother, Pamela McGee, was a USC standout and WNBA star for the Los Angeles Sparks and Sacramento Monarchs.^[3] McGee is the first son of a WNBA player to ever play in the NBA.^[17]

McGee has the largest documented wingspan of any current NBA player at 7 ft 6.5 in (2.30 m).^[18]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association players with 10 or more blocks in a game

Notes[link]

Erin Andrews
Andrews at the 2012 premiere of What to Expect When You're Expecting
Born	Erin Jill Andrews (1978-05-04) May 4, 1978 (age 34) Lewiston, Maine, United States
Education	University of Florida (BA)
Occupation	Sportscaster, journalist
Years active	2000-present
Notable credit(s)	College GameDay co-anchor (2010–present), Good Morning America correspondent (2010–present)
Website
http://erinandrews.com

Erin Jill Andrews (born May 4, 1978) is an American sportscaster, journalist, and television personality. As of 2011 she is a co-host of College GameDay on ESPN and a contributor for Good Morning America on the ABC network.^[1][2]

Early life and family[link]

Andrews was born in Lewiston, Maine to Paula Andrews, a teacher, and Steven Andrews, a TV journalist.^[3][4] She moved to Tampa, Florida as a young girl when her father, a six-time Emmy Award-winner, began working as an investigative reporter for WFLA-TV.^[5]

Andrews attended Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida, where she was a member of the cheerleading team, student government, and the National Honor Society.^[4][6] Following her graduation from high school in 1996, Andrews attended the University of Florida, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Telecommunications.^[1] While in college, she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority^[7] and the Florida Gators Dazzlers dance team from 1997 to 2000.^[1] She also has a younger sister Kendra Andrews, who is a professional dancer and actor.^[8]

Career[link]

Early work (2000-2004)[link]

In 2000, Andrews was employed by Fox Sports Florida as a freelance reporter. In 2001-2002, she served as a Tampa Bay Lightning reporter for the Sunshine Network. From 2002-2004, Andrews covered the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Thrashers, and Atlanta Hawks for the Turner South network as a studio host and reporter.^[1]

2004–present[link]

Andrews at a 2010 college football game

Andrews began working for ESPN in May 2004 as a reporter for ESPN National Hockey Night. She has also reported for the College World Series, Little League World Series, and Great Outdoor Games. Andrews began serving as a sideline reporter for ESPN College Football Saturday Primetime and Big Ten college basketball games, and in 2005, her job expanded to include ESPN College Football Thursday Primetime and Major League Baseball sideline reporting. From 2008 to 2010, she reported for ESPN’s and ABC’s live coverage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.^[1]

Andrews has been a guest on several talk shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.^[9]

In 2010, Andrews appeared on the tenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. They placed third out of 11 contestants.^[10]

On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Andrews signed an endorsement deal with Reebok to promote its ZigTech brand.^[11] Two weeks prior, as a sideline reporter during the 2011 Rose Bowl, Andrews noted that Texas Christian University Horned Frogs football players were slipping on the turf because of the new Nike shoes they were wearing. Due to the conflict of interest, ESPN announced revised endorsement guidelines for its journalists that required Andrews to end her endorsement deal with Reebok by the end of 2011.^[12]

Andrews currently hosts the first hour of ESPN's College GameDay on ESPNU and has been a Good Morning America correspondent on ABC since 2010, though she has not appeared on the show since covering the Oscars in February 2011.^[2]

Charitable work[link]

In 2010 Andrews became a spokesperson for the Kraft Foods Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign which aimed to raise $2.86 million for Feeding America.^[13] In May 2011 she co-hosted the Music Builds: CMT Disaster Relief Concert on the CMT network to raise money for the American Red Cross in response to the April 27th tornadoes in the Southern United States.^[14] In September 2011 Andrews partnered with StubHub to support the Girls Night Out initiative, a program to encourage women to attend more sporting events. A portion of ticket revenues generated through the program goes to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a support organization for survivors of deceased military personnel.^[15]

Stalking incident[link]

In 2008 Michael David Barrett, 46, filmed Andrews in her hotel room through peepholes at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and the Radisson Airport Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On July 16, 2009, one of these videos, in which Andrews appeared nude, was posted online and quickly went viral.^[4][16] Barrett was arrested on October 2, 2009, by the FBI for interstate stalking, and pled guilty to the charges on December 15, 2009.^[17][18] On March 15, 2010, Barrett was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years of probation, $5,000 in fines, and $7,366 in restitution.^[19] He currently is serving his sentence at the Seattle Community Corrections. He is scheduled to be released on July 3, 2012.^[20]

Andrews has sued Barrett, Marriott International, Radisson Hotels, and five other entities for negligence and invasion of privacy in connection with the secret videotaping.^[21] In 2011 Andrews worked with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar to enact a new federal anti-stalking law.^[22]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Erin Andrews

• Official website
• Erin Andrews on Twitter
• Erin Andrews on Facebook

References[link]

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]