Dwight Howard

Dwight David Howard is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who plays center, 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 Orlando Magic. An eighttime AllStar, eighttime AllNBA team selection, fivetime AllDefensive member, and threetime 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 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. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, and signed with the Rockets in 2013.

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 womens basketball team at Morris Brown College. Howards mother had seven miscarriages before he was born. 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. Despite his large frame, Howard was quick and versatile enough to play the guard position. 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 , 13.4 rebounds per game and 6.3 blocks per game in 129 appearances. As a senio

Source: Wikipedia