Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard began playing basketball when he was a child in Atlanta. He became a star in high school at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, where his father, Dwight Sr., was the athletic director.

After leading his team to a state title during his senior year, Howard was widely regarded as the best high school player in the nation. He decided to forego college and was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

After eight seasons in Orlando, Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. He would play one season in Los Angeles before being traded to the Houston Rockets, where he played for the next three seasons. 

The final six seasons of Howard’s NBA career saw him play for five different teams: the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Washington Wizards, the Philadelphia 76ers and two separate stints with the Lakers again. In 2020, Howard won his first and only NBA Championship as a member of the Lakers. 

Howard was an eight-time NBA All-Star and also won a gold medal as a member of the Team USA men’s basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Since his NBA career ended in 2022, Howard has played basketball overseas. He signed a contract with the Taiwan Mustangs in May 2024. 

Outside of basketball, Howard competed on season 6 of The Masked Singer, becoming the first contestant eliminated. He also finished third on the first season of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test in 2023. 

In 2024, Howard joined the season 33 cast of Dancing With the Stars, where he was paired with professional partner Daniella Karagech.