Juwan Howard
Encyclopedia
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball
player who last played for the Miami Heat
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft
by the Washington Bullets. A former All-Star and All-NBA power forward
, he also starred as an All-American on the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
team during the Fab Five
years and, earlier, on the Chicago Vocational Career Academy team as a center
. In addition to being an All-American in high school, he was an honors student
.
Howard was a member of the Fab Five (along with Chris Webber
, Jalen Rose
, Jimmy King
and Ray Jackson
) that reached the finals of the 1992
and 1993
National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Championship
as freshmen and sophomores while starting a combined 304 of a possible 350 games. Howard is the last member of the Fab Five who remains active as a professional basketball player. Most Michigan Wolverines men's basketball records and accomplishments from 1992 to 1998 have been forfeited because of NCAA sanctions stemming from the University of Michigan basketball scandal
. However, Howard's 1993–94 All-American
season accomplishment has not been.
He played six and a half seasons for the Bullets/Wizard franchise and three full seasons for the Houston Rockets
. He has not played more than two seasons for any other teams. During his rookie year as a professional, he became the first player to graduate on time with his class after leaving college early to play in the NBA. After one season as an All-Rookie player and a second as an All-NBA performer, he became the first NBA player to sign a $100 million contract. Although he continued to be a productive starter, he never again performed at an All-Star level. Near the end of his contract, he was traded at the NBA trade deadline twice to make salary cap
room. In 2010, he signed with the Miami Heat
and entered his 17th NBA season, during which he reached the playoffs for the sixth time and made his first career NBA Finals
appearance. During his first 5 seasons in the NBA, he averaged 19.3 points per game, but has only averaged 17 points in three of his seasons since. The 2005–06 NBA season was the most recent in which he was a starter
in more than half of the games in which he played and averaged more than 30 minutes per game. Howard has developed a reputation as a humanitarian for his civic commitment.
Howard attended Chicago Vocational Career Academy, where he was named a 1991 All-American basketball player by Parade
magazine and won McDonald's All American honors. He was also chosen for the National Honor Society
. During recruiting visits by college coaches such as Lou Henson, Joey Meyer and Fisher, Jannie Mae Howard did most of the questioning. His grandmother died a few hours after he announced that he would attend Michigan. After her fatal heart attack, Howard moved in with his high-school coach, Richard Cook. Howard has no siblings and is not close to his biological parents.
recruit, highly prized by college basketball coaches. He was regarded as one of the best sophomores in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago Public School League coaches choose an annual roster of the best performers each season. He was a second-team selection and the only sophomore named to the 20-man 1988–89 All-Chicago Public School League team.
The summer after his sophomore year, the 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) center attended the Nike Academic Betterment and Career Development (ABCD) camp, which was held annually in , during the late 1980s. There he was matched against the 7 in 4 in (2.24 m) Shawn Bradley
. At this camp, Howard established himself as one of the best junior-year big men (tall basketball players) in the country despite having his shots blocked
several times by the much taller Bradley. He was involved in controversy for receiving a second pair of sneakers at the camp. Howard explained the situation as follows: "I was issued a pair of shoes at the beginning of camp. But they tore. I was issued another pair. Then a counselor gave me another pair. I thought it was a joke. But somebody saw me walk out with a shoebox and thought I had stolen some shoes." Under pressure from camp officials, on three occasions Howard denied he had taken the extra pair of shoes. Finally, as a disciplinary measure, he was shipped home on the last day of the six-day camp. Howard said. "I was so scared, I threw the shoes out of a window in my dormitory." He also participated in the Bill Cronauer (B/C) camp in , which was attended by more than 100 college coaches. During the camp, he became ranked as one of the top 10 underclassmen in the country. Howard attended other camps that summer and had a goal of surpassing Deon Thomas
, who was the reigning Chicago Tribune
basketball player of the year, as the best big man in the state. By the time he ended his college career in 1994, Howard was drafted a full round ahead of Thomas, which marked Howard's achievement of his goal.
entered their junior years, some sources listed Kleinschmidt as the number one junior in the state. Others considered Howard the top prospect. Howard was said to be leaning toward playing for DePaul
or, because of his admiration for Thomas, for the Illinois Fighting Illini
. By the end of his junior year, league coaches named him to the first-team All-Chicago Public School League. He was selected to the Chicago Sun-Times
All-Area team as well as the Class-AA All-State team and established himself as the top Chicago-area junior ahead of Kleinschmidt. He had a sub-par performance against King High School
in the Chicago Public School League semifinals, but the Chicago Tribune
named him to its All-State second team.
Howard was also an honors student. After his junior year, he was one of 10 Illinois players invited back to the Nike All-American Camp at Princeton. Others invited included Kleinschmidt, Donnie Boyce
, William Gates, Billy Taylor, Rashard Griffith
and Howard Nathan
. Although Howard was perceived as one of the top Chicago prospects at that time, the best Chicago-area prospect was Glenn Robinson
of . By this time, Howard had eliminated DePaul from consideration since Deryl Cunningham, another Chicago-area all-star who might have otherwise convinced Howard to stay in Chicago, had transferred to Kansas State
. He was considering Michigan, Michigan State
, Kentucky
, Arizona
, Dayton
, Marquette
and Illinois. Howard was evaluated as the best senior at the camp that included Chris Webber
, Cherokee Parks
, Robinson, and Alan Henderson
. After being named Most Valuable Player
(MVP) at the prestigious Boston Shootout and being acknowledged as the leading participant at Nike camp, he was mentioned as the best prospect in the country. Howard's top six possible schools were Michigan, Nevada-Las Vegas
, Kentucky, Marquette, Arizona and Dayton. After he was declared the best player at the Nike camp, his household was besieged by recruiters. Howard issued the following statement "Contact my coach. I do not want my grandmother and aunt upset about calls at all times of the day and night. I'm not the only person who lives in this house. I think my wishes should be respected. If not, when it comes time to make my decision, I'll take those things into account." Although Howard was the best performer at the camp, some felt Webber and Robinson were his equals as prospects. Howard was Illinois' number one recruit, but the team was under investigation for recruiting violations. By the end of July 1990, Howard was projected to sign with Michigan.
team decision, Howard wavered between Arizona State and Michigan. He had also made an official visit to Dayton. Despite the ongoing recruiting scandal, he also made an unofficial visit to the University of Illinois, which had recruited four of the five previous Chicago Public School League Illinois Players of the Year. At the time of his decision, he was considered one of the top five seniors in the country, but he decided not to hold a press conference to announce his decision. Although the official signing period was set for November 14–21, 1990, he selected Michigan on November 2. Howard averaged 26.9 points, 8.4 rebounds
and 3.4 assists
during his senior season, and finished in the top 10 percent of his academic class. He had become friends with Jimmy King when they visited Michigan on the same weekend and is said to have influenced King's decision to enroll there. Howard's signing made up for the inability of Steve Fisher
, Michigan's head coach
, to recruit Eric Montross
the prior year, even though Montross' father and grandfather had played for Michigan. With Jalen Rose, Webber, Howard and King, the Michigan recruiting class was considered to be the best in the nation. Some regarded the class as among the greatest recruiting classes of all time.
As a senior, Howard edged Griffith and Kiwane Garris
for the most votes to the Sun-Times annual All-Chicago Public School League boys' basketball team. He was also selected to the All-Area team. He was also a repeat Class-AA All-State selection. Howard, Kleinschmidt and Robinson were all selected to the 10-member first team of Parade magazine's 40-member high school All-America boys' basketball team. Howard and Kleinschmidt were selected to play in the McDonald's All-America game. In the game, West MVP Webber posted 28 points and 12 rebounds and Howard added 16 points as the West won 108–106. Howard also earned the Gatorade Circle of Champions' Illinois Player of the Year Award. In late April, Howard was informed that his ACT test score was high enough to make him eligible under Proposition 48
academic requirements to play as a freshman. Only eight of the top 25 Chicago Public School League players passed the test.
As Michigan celebrated Midnight Madness
on October 15, 1991, there was already talk that at least four of the five freshmen would be starting before the season ended. (The five eventually started in a combined 304 of a possible 350 man-games among them during their first two seasons.) Early in his freshman season for the 1991–92 Michigan Wolverines, Howard started in some games and came off the bench in others for the highly-rated Wolverines. Over time, he won the starting role from Eric Riley
. In the first matchup against Illinois, Howard scored 13 points and denied Thomas the ball consistently enough to hold him to 8 shots. His biggest contribution in the game was getting his hand on a loose ball to force a jump ball
with 16 seconds left and Michigan leading by only three. In the Elite Eight
round of the 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Michigan earned a rematch against a Jimmy Jackson
-led Ohio State Buckeyes team that had beaten them twice during the regular season by double digits. Michigan won the rematch, during which the Fab Five scored all but two Wolverines points. When the 24–8 Wolverines reached the Final Four
round of the tournament, they found themselves matched against a 29–4 Bob Huggins
-coached Cincinnati Bearcats
team that averaged 83.6 points
per game and had lost to only three teams, two of which had beaten Michigan. Nick Van Exel
, who became the starter in the middle of the season, led Cincinnati in postseason scoring. Howard, King and Riley shaved their heads for the game. Michigan won and earned a rematch with the Duke Blue Devils team
that had beaten them by three points in overtime in December. In the initial contest, Howard had only scored four points. Entering the final game, he was averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. The day before the game, Howard endured dehydration from stomach cramps and a fever that necessitated that he receive fluids. As a result of his condition he was exempted from mandatory media meetings. Howard was part of a rotation with Webber and Riley that guarded the National Player of the Year, Christian Laettner
. During Laettner's first six possessions against Howard, Laettner dribbled the basketball off his foot, missed a shot, threw a turnover
, traveled
, threw the ball away and hit the backboard with a shot. However, Duke scored in its final 12 possessions of the championship game, going on a 23–6 run to win by a final margin of 71–51. Despite his medical difficulties, Howard contributed 9 points in 29 minutes. Howard earned a reputation for his quick feet, ability to grasp fundamentals, excellent moves in the low post, but also 2-to-1 turnover-to-assist ratio and a high number of fouls
.
Sophomore year
As his sophomore year began, there were reports that during the 1992 summer a controversy had arisen when three Wolverines were found to have been paid $300 to participate in a charity basketball tournament. Furthermore, some others, including Howard, appeared at several summer basketball camps together, which was a possible violation of NCAA rules. The following season, Michigan returned its top nine scorers and began the season ranked number one in the country by the Associated Press
. Michigan lost its second game of the season in a rematch with . As a sophomore member of the 1992–93 Wolverines, Howard was described as the steadiest player by coach Fisher. Meanwhile, the Chicago vocational team that he led to back-to-back city Final Fours fell to successive 4–20 and 4–21 records without him. During the season, Howard acquired a million-dollar disability insurance policy approved by the NCAA under the Exceptional Student Athlete Disability Insurance Program available to student-athletes who are projected to be chosen high in the NBA, National Football League
(NFL), and Major League Baseball
drafts. As a freshman and sophomore, he was not only united with the Fab Five and future NBA player Riley, he was teammates with Rob Pelinka
. In the semifinals of the 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament against , Howard held Jamal Mashburn
in check defensively, while contributing on offense. When the 31–4 Wolverines were matched up against the 33–4 1992–93 Tar Heels
in the championship game, both coach Fisher and Carolina's coach Dean Smith
were seeking their second national championship. During the championship game Howard picked up his second personal foul
with 9 minutes 42 seconds remaining in the first half as the entire team dealt with foul trouble. The game would be remembered as the one in which Webber's technical foul
for calling a time out when the team had none left led to a Tar Heel victory. Over the course of the season, Howard averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. After the season, Webber and Howard were invited to try out for the United States national basketball team that would compete at the 1993 World University Games
and Under-22 World Championships
.
Junior year
After Webber left for the NBA, the 1993–94 Wolverines team
entered the season ranked fifth in the nation as it opened the season against number 13 . During the season, Howard had a case of the chicken pox in January. Michigan found itself with a 21–6, (13–4 Big Ten) record and tied with the Purdue Boilermakers for the conference lead with one game remaining. Michigan then lost (for the third time in its last four games) to a struggling team, and finished second in the conference. After the season, Howard was selected as a first team All-Big-Ten member along with his teammate Rose, Purdue's Robinson, Michigan State's Shawn Respert
, and Indiana's Damon Bailey
. In the opening round of the 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Howard helped Michigan survive with a 78–74 overtime victory over by scoring 28 points and adding 9 rebounds before fouling out. In the second round, Howard posted 34 points and 18 rebounds to lead the team to a 84–79 victory over . Michigan faced a Joe Smith-led in the Sweet Sixteen round. Howard scored 24 and had 11 rebounds before fouling out with 2:49 remaining in the 78–71 victory. Howard earned the regional MVP award with a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds despite collecting two fouls in the first two minutes in the Elite Eight round against a victorious Arkansas team
that had United States President Bill Clinton
as a vocal supporter. After the season, he announced his intention to enter the 1994 NBA Draft. The following day, Rose announced he would enter the draft as well.
Howard left Michigan after being named an Associated Press third team All-American during his junior year, and was taken by the Washington Bullets
fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft
. Howard was represented by David Falk
. Although the Fab Five games in the Final Four have been forfeited, Howard was not among the players (including Robert Traylor
, Webber, Rose, Maurice Taylor
, and Louis Bullock
) called before a grand jury
to testify in the University of Michigan basketball scandal and was not found to have received large amounts of money.
referred to him as "My Rock of Gibraltar". His consistency was described by a Chicago Tribune
journalist poetically as "their ballast, steadying them on those many occasions when they wavered. And their savior, rescuing them from their many follies".
After the 1994 NBA Draft
, NBA analyst Doug Collins
described Howard as a player who can "play with his back to the basket and can shoot from about 16 feet outside" and who "plays with a lot of energy and emotion". The Baltimore Sun noted that he is a power forward who is able to play center, adding that at Michigan he was "most effective playing with his back to the basket" but could also pass effectively and hit medium-range jumpers. The Bullets' head coach
Jim Lynam
described Howard as a "complete player" and noted that "he can defend you and he can score over you". The team's general manager
, John Nash
, said that "the things that impressed me most about him were his character, his intelligence and his insight. He's a leader type." Nash told another journalist that Howard was "as fundamentally sound as any player in the draft" and that he "has a discipline about his game and uses a high level of skill and technique". The Baltimore Sun said, "Not only can Howard post up, he passes effectively and is able to hit a jumper up to 17 feet," adding that he "also is an excellent position defender".
When he first became a free agent
in 1996, Howard was described as versatile enough to play all three front-line positions (small forward
, power forward and center), and Michael Jordan
loved his "game, work ethic and character". In 2000–01 with Dallas, he was still regarded as a versatile offensive player who could "take advantage of smaller defenders in the paint and then stretch his bigger defenders outside" in addition to being a solid rebounder. However by 2001, some regarded him as a high-priced, under-achieving player. In 2002, he was described by a journalist from his hometown Chicago Sun-Times
as a solid veteran at the four (power-forward position) but not a natural small forward. In the NBA, Howard developed a respected inside post-up game and a reputation as a veteran leader, according to Kiki Vandeweghe, the general manager of the Denver Nuggets
, in 2003.
signed, making Howard the last first-round selection without a contract. He missed most of the first month of the season and resided at an O'Hare Airport hotel while protracted talks continued. The Bullets stuck to a 10-year, $30 million ($ million today) offer. On November 17, Howard signed a 12-year, $37.5 million ($ million) contract and eventually moved into the starting lineup. While holding out, he was rumored to be part of a package deal with Calbert Cheaney and a first-round draft choice for Scottie Pippen
. Another rumor had Howard being packaged with Rex Chapman
and Don MacLean
for Pippen. Once he signed, he was reunited with Michigan teammate Webber as a member of the Bullets. Webber was traded from the to the Bullets on November 18 for Tom Gugliotta
and three first-round draft choices. Webber had also sat out training camp and the first eight games of the season.
After Webber joined the Bullets, many thought that the two former Fab Five members would bring success to the team, coached by Lynam. The Washington front line was anticipated to include Webber, Howard, and Kevin Duckworth
and to have Gheorghe Mureşan
, a 7 in 7 in (231.14 cm) Romania
n center coming off the bench. Chapman, MacLean, Cheaney, Mitchell Butler
and Scott Skiles
were expected to provide solid perimeter play. Experts projected the Bullets as contenders for the conference title. As a power forward, Howard posted impressive numbers once he became a regular. Over the course of the season, he averaged 17.0 points per game and posted 17 double-doubles in 65 games played (52 starts). He totalled 30 points or more on three separate occasions. Howard participated in the February 11, 1995, NBA All-Star Game
weekend events as a member of the youth challenge match. He earned second team All-Rookie honors at the end of the season, and became the first NBA athlete who entered the draft early and still graduated with his academic class. The team endured 317 man-games of injury, however, and finished with a 21–61 record.
He majored in radio-television communication (with a minor in business) at Michigan and graduated to fulfill his promise to his grandmother. Although had spent the prior year playing in the NBA, he returned to campus to partake in graduation ceremonies with his classmates. Howard had promised his grandmother on the final day he saw her alive that he would graduate. When he made it to the NBA, he quickly realized how much leisure time the multimillionaire players had and decided to do something productive instead of find ways to spend his new riches. Howard stated that "I knew if I kept pushing it off, I'd never get it done." In order to complete his final 32 course hours, he took summer classes in 1994. Then, he continued to study on road trips and mailed in papers from the nearest post office. He took correspondence classes and independent study
. While juggling professional basketball duties and coursework, he continued to find time for charity work and time to visit hospitals. In the end he earned his bachelor of arts
degree. He feels it makes him a better example when he serves as a speaker about staying in school. During the graduation, the keynote speaker, Marian Wright Edelman
, paid special recognition to Howard and Fab Five teammates King and Jackson who graduated together and noted that Howard's graduation made him a role model for children.
In the off-season, the traded Chapman, MacLean and Duckworth, and they drafted Rasheed Wallace
. The team was expected to be a contender with Webber, Howard, Muresan, Mark Price
, and Robert Pack
. Webber, Price and Pack missed almost the entire 1995–96 season (65, 75 and 51 games respectively) because of injuries. in spite of the injuries to several key teammates, 1995–96 was Howard's best season. During the season, he finished 3rd in the NBA in minutes played, 6th in points scored and 10th in points per game (22.1). Over the course of the season, he accumulated 22 double-doubles in 81 games, including 6 in his last 8 games. He concluded the season by scoring at least 20 points in his last 16 games. His strong finish earned him NBA player of the month for April, and he earned his only career All-Star game selection for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game
and his only All-NBA selection at the end of the season. Howard became just the second player in Washington franchise history, after Bernard King
, to post back-to-back 40-point games (against Boston
on April 17, 1996, with 40, and at Toronto
on April 19, 1996, with 42). In addition to his two 40-point performances, he posted 3 additional 30-point performances and scored at least 20 points in a total of 56 of 81 games. Howard also made news that season for his theatrics after being ejected from a February 27 game against the Charlotte Hornets. He kicked a water cooler across the court and was fined $5,000 for making an obscene gesture. The 42 points proved to be his career high. Averaging 22.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists, he helped the Bullets record 39 victories. This was not enough for the Bullets to make the playoffs during their ninth consecutive losing season.
After averaging 17 points per game as a rookie and more than 22 per game in his second season, Howard became a free agent. The Bullets offered Howard an $89 million contract, and the Miami Heat
outbid them with a seven-year deal estimated to be worth $98 to $101 million. However, the Heat miscalculated its available salary under the salary cap
by excluding performance bonuses for Tim Hardaway
and P. J. Brown
and failing to account for the impact of renegotiating Alonzo Mourning
's contract before coming to terms with Howard. The league rejected the contract on July 31 because the $9 million for the 1996–97 season violated the cap. Howard then re-signed with the Bullets on August 5. He became the first player in NBA history to sign a contract worth more than $100 million; his seven-year contract was worth $105 million. He never reached the level of All-Star status again. The league ruled on August 5 that the Bullets could re-sign Howard after having renounced his rights on July 15 to free up cap room to sign Tracy Murray
and Lorenzo Williams if they forfeited their 1997 NBA Draft
first-round selection rights. The Bullets were not limited by the cap because they were re-signing their own player. The Heat pursued legal remedy in the Florida state courts seeking acknowledgment of the prior validity and superiority of their earlier contract. Although the two contracts that Howard had signed seemed headed for arbitration, the Heat dropped its legal pursuits of Howard. If the Heat had pursued arbitration and had been found guilty of violating the salary cap, the team could have been fined $5 million and Pat Riley
could have been suspended for the season. By dropping their actions, the Heat avoided any possible penalties. In addition to signing free agents Murray and Williams, the Bullets traded for Rod Strickland
and Harvey Grant
.
, when he averaged 18.7 points and 6 rebounds while playing 43 minutes per game. After Lynam coached the Bullets to a 22–24 record, the Bullets hired Bernie Bickerstaff
, who posted a 22–13 record. The team finished its regular season with a 44–38 record but was swept in three games in the Eastern Conference
first round by the Chicago Bulls
, who went on to win their second consecutive NBA championship.
At the beginning of the 1997–98 season, the relocated from the US Airways Arena to the MCI Center. Over the course of the 1997–98 season, Howard accumulated 11 double-doubles in 64 games, while averaging 18.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. He failed to score 30 points in any game. During Bickerstaff's only full season as the Washington coach, the team posted a 42–40 record. Howard, who injured his ankle, played in no games between February 5 and March 17. On April 6, 1998, a woman filed a sexual assault complaint against Howard and Webber (traded by the team a few weeks later) after a party at Howard's house. Lawyers for both offered different accounts; Howard's lawyer said that the woman had initiated an unspecified consensual sex act with one of the men. A grand jury heard testimony from the accuser and many of the 40 so party attendees but neither of the players before the Montgomery County
State's Attorney
announced that prosecution was not warranted and closed the case in May. In June, Howard filed suit against the woman; he sought compensation for emotional distress for damage to his reputation and image. Melissa Reed, the accuser, was absent during the proceeding and failed to respond to the lawsuit for defamation. In November, Howard was awarded $1 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages
plus legal costs.
After the 1998–99 NBA lockout
, the posted an 18–32 record. The team started out 13–19 under Bickerstaff and was 5–13 under Jim Brovelli
. Howard, a vocal detractor of Bickerstaff, said the coach was not able to make proper in-game adjustments. Howard, who again had an ankle injury, missed the last 14 games of the season. Over the course of the 1998–99 season, he accumulated 11 double-doubles and two 15-rebound performances in 36 games, while averaging 18.9 points and 7.0 rebounds.
During the 1999–2000 season, Howard accumulated 10 double-doubles in 82 games, while averaging 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds. That season the endured a 14–30 start under head coach Gar Heard
before going 15–23 under Darrell Walker
. By his sixth season, Howard had become unpopular and a bit of a disappointment in Washington, according to a journalist from the Chicago Tribune
. During the season, he twice posted 30 points, including a season-high 36 in a fourth-quarter comeback to end a five-game losing streak in January.
During the 2000–01 season, his fifth for the since last being named an All-Star, Howard's pay remained the fourth-highest in the league, behind Kevin Garnett
, Shaquille O'Neal
and Mourning. On December 31, 2000, Howard, in a game against the , posted his career high of 15 free throws. Michael Jordan
, who had become part-owner of the team, traded Howard, Obinna Ekezie
, and Calvin Booth
to the for Laettner, Loy Vaught
, Etan Thomas
, Hubert Davis, Courtney Alexander
and $3 million on February 22, 2001, at the NBA trade deadline. Jordan's move was praised for freeing up salary-cap space in advance of the NBA's first season with a luxury tax. That season, Washington finished the year with a 19–63 record under coach Leonard Hamilton
.
. Howard provided the Mavericks with a back-to-the-basket player who moved into the starting power-forward position, enabling Dirk Nowitzki
to play small forward
and Bradley to play center. During the season, Howard accumulated 16 double-doubles and five 30-point performances in 81 games, while averaging 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. On a team with All-star Michael Finley
and future MVPs Steve Nash
and Nowitzki, Howard was the highest paid player. On March 20, Howard blocked five shots, his career high, against the . The Mavericks advanced past the 3–2 before falling to the 4–1 in the 2001 NBA Playoffs
. The Utah games marked the only time Howard played for a team that won an NBA playoff series. During the series against the Spurs, Howard slammed Spurs guard Derek Anderson to the floor, separating Anderson's shoulder, and was ejected. In the Mavericks' 10 playoff games, Howard accumulated three double-doubles while averaging 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 39.1 minutes.
During the 2001–02 season, he accumulated 17 double-doubles and three 30-point performances in 81 games (72 starts), while averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds. This was the first time since his rookie holdout season that he did not start all his games played. All non-starts occurred between November 21 and December 11, and eight of them were in consecutive games between November 21 and December 5. On January 31, he posted a career-high 16 rebounds against the . The Mavericks traded him with Donnell Harvey
, Tim Hardaway
and a 2002 first-round pick to the for Raef LaFrentz
, Avery Johnson
, Nick Van Exel
and Tariq Abdul-Wahad
on February 21, 2002. At the time of the trade, Howard was considered the Mavericks' best low-post defender. Howard started all 28 games that he played for the Nuggets. Don Nelson's Mavericks posted a 57–25 record and went to the second round of the playoffs after trading Howard, while the Nuggets posted a 27–55 record under coaches Dan Issel
and Mike Evans
. On March 25, 2002, he scored his 10,000th point.
During a preseason game, Howard attempted to punch Al Harrington
and Jermaine O'Neal
, which caused the NBA to suspend him on October 25, 2002. As a result, Howard missed the ' first two games of the regular season, and this cost him $458,000 in salary. During the 2002–03 regular season, he accumulated 18 double-doubles, two 30-point performances, and three 15-rebound performances in 77 games, while averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. The 2002–03 Nuggets were 17–65 under Jeff Bzdelik
. Howard started all 77 games in which he played.
He then signed as a free agent with the on July 16, 2003. Over the course of the 2003–04 season he accumulated 16 double-doubles, and two 30-point performances in 81 games (77 starts), while averaging 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds. The team compiled a 21–61 record, the worst in the NBA, under coaches Doc Rivers
and Johnny Davis.
, Tyronn Lue
and Reece Gaines
were part of a seven-player trade that sent starting
guards Steve Francis
and Cuttino Mobley
plus Kelvin Cato
to the Magic. Over the course of the 2004–05 season Howard achieved seven double-doubles in 61 games (47 starts), while averaging 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. His 26.6 minutes per game marked the first season that he played less than 32 minutes per game. Maurice Taylor
started the first 16 games of the season for the . Although Taylor was available and played, Howard became the regular starter on December 2 and started for the rest of the season. The 2004–05 Rockets were 51–31 under Jeff Van Gundy
, and they lost in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs
to the 4 games to 3. Although the Rockets made the playoffs, Howard's season ended on March 14, when he left a game with a sprained right knee. The injury coincided with a period in which he developed symptoms of viral myocarditis, including heart palpitation
s, mild chest pains and fever and was diagnosed with a viral infection in his heart. His limited physical activity impaired his medial collateral ligament
rehabilitation.
During the 2005–06 season, Howard recorded 10 double-doubles and two 30-point performances in 80 games, while averaging 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds. He played 31.7 minutes per game, and this was the last season in which he averaged 30 minutes per game as well as the last time that he started at least half of the games in which he played. The were 34–48 under Van Gundy and missed the playoffs.
In the 2006–07 season, Howard achieved nine double-doubles in 80 games played (37 starts), while averaging 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. His 26.5 minutes per game marked a new career low. The Rockets
acquired Shane Battier
, who started all 82 games. Although Howard only started 38 games, he started 32 consecutive games between December 26, 2006, and March 3, 2007. This streak coincided with Yao Ming
's absence from the lineup. The 2006–07 Rockets were 52–30 under Van Gundy and lost in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs
to the , four games to three. In the playoffs, Howard, coming off the bench, averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.4 minutes. Although Howard was described as a consistent role player and locker-room leader, his salary continued to be perceived as outrageous.
for Mike James
and Justin Reed
. He was looking forward to playing with Kevin Garnett
. However, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics
on July 31. Howard made it clear he was not interested in being part of a youth movement in Minnesota and consequently requested a trade once Garnett had been dealt. Howard still had $6.88 million and $7.38 million in salary owed to him over the next two seasons, which made him difficult to trade. Wolves owner Glen Taylor
noted that the team would attempt to accommodate his wishes but also noted that it would be difficult. On October 29, 2007, the Timberwolves waived Howard after agreeing to a contractual buyout agreement worth $10 million spread over four years instead of the roughly $14.25 million ($6.88 million plus $7.38 million) that Minnesota would otherwise have owed him.
Howard agreed to terms with the Dallas Mavericks
on October 30, 2007; however he was not able to officially sign until the 31st, when he cleared waivers. During the 2007–08 season, he played in 50 games and made no starts, while averaging 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds. In his limited role he never played more than 18 minutes and had season-highs of seven rebounds and six points. The 2007–08 Mavericks were 51–31 under coach Avery Johnson
and lost in the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs
to the New Orleans Hornets
four games to one. In the playoffs, Howard only appeared for a total of 11 minutes in three games. This was the only season in Howard's career in which he did not start in a single game.
On October 3, 2008, Howard rejoined the Denver Nuggets
, but was later released when the Nuggets made a three-for-one trade of Allen Iverson
for Chauncey Billups
, Antonio McDyess
and Cheikh Samb on November 3. When he was waived, he was the only player on the Nuggets' roster without a guaranteed contract. Before the trade, Howard had played in three games during the 2008–09 season
. His appearances had all come from off the bench and lasted between seven minutes and three seconds and seven minutes and forty-two seconds. After Howard departed, the Nuggets went on to post a 54–28 record and reach the Western Conference finals under George Karl
. On December 12, 2008, he was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats
. During the 2008–09 season, he played in 42 games, making two starts, while averaging 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds. In his role, he played more than 20 minutes five times including four in a row from January 28 to February 8 and had season-highs of five rebounds and 14 points. He posted 10 or more points five times. He more than 20 minutes on January 28, the night after Gerald Wallace
suffered a left-lung collapse as well as a non-displaced fracture of the fifth rib. Although he played 20 minutes in four consecutive appearances, he sat out one intervening game on February 6 with a toe injury. On February 8, in his only start other than his first game as a Bobcat, he played a season-high 30:39 and posted a season-high 14 points. The subsequent night Howard was out of the lineup again with a toe injury. The 2008–09 Bobcats were 35–47 under coach Larry Brown
.
On September 17, 2009, Juwan Howard signed a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers
. During the 2009–10 season
, he accumulated two double-doubles, played in 73 games, and made 27 starts, while averaging 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. On December 22, Joel Przybilla
injured his knee. That night Howard had his first double-double of the season. He had his other double-double the next night when he made his first start of the season. All of Howard's performances with 10 rebounds or more occurred between December 22 and February 3. December 23 marked the start of 14 consecutive starting appearances and 24 starts in 26 appearances. The 2009–10 Trail Blazers were 50–32 under coach Nate McMillan
and lost in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs
to the Phoenix Suns
, four games to two. Howard appeared in all six games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.5 minutes.
On July 20, 2010, Howard came to terms with the Miami Heat
for the veteran's minimum salary. Although he was only paid the minimum by the Heat, he was in the final year of his four-year buyout from the Timberwolves. On March 31, Howard was fined $35,000 for escalating an altercation the night before. The Heat ended up reaching the NBA Finals, losing to the Dallas Mavericks four games to two. Howard averaged 1.5 points and .9 rebounds a game in the postseason.
. In 2005, Howard bought a 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) $11.775 million property in South Florida's Gables Estates, where he intended to build a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) home, with a dock for a newly purchased 54 feet (16.5 m) yacht
named the Fab 5.
Howard's son, Juwan Howard, Jr. (born February 5, 1992), is the child of Markita Blyden, who was runner-up for Michigan's Miss Basketball when she and her twin sister led Detroit's Murray Wright High School to the 1990 Class A state championship game. He finished his senior season at Detroit's Pershing High School in Spring 2010. As a junior, he led his high school to the Michigan High School Athletic Association
state championship. As a senior, he was named first team All-State, by both the Associated Press
and Detroit Free Press
. He committed to play for the Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball
team.
On July 6, 2002, Howard married Jenine Wardally. At the time, Howard was 29 and Wardally was 27. They have a son Jace who was born in late September 2001. They have a second son Jett, who is two years younger.
for his civic contributions. In April 2010, Howard won the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his community efforts, philanthropic work and charitable contributions. His foundation partners with the Chicago Public Schools
(CPS) to reach 30,000 kids annually for a reading challenge, where the top 300 readers get to attend his basketball camp. By partnering with the Juwan Howard Foundation, CPS, Jordan Brand, Dell Computers, EMI Music, Vitamin Water and the National Basketball Association, he is able to maintain the camp at no fee to the kids.
, appearing in the 1999 episode "The Crackpots and These Women
" as Mr. Grant, a former Duke basketball player working on the President's Council on Physical Fitness. Grant joins a pick-up basketball game on the side of the fictional President Josiah Bartlet
, whose team appears to be losing to members of the President's staff. It is later revealed that Grant wins the game for the President.
Howard also appeared in the 1994 basketball film Hoop Dreams
. Other appearances include the August 15, 1999 "The Art of Give and Take" episode of Arli$$, the season 5 (2005) "Michigan's Fab 5" episode of Beyond the Glory
, the November 9, 1996 season 2 "Son-in-Law" episode of Hang Time
and the 2011 documentary The Fab Five
produced by his Michigan teammate Jalen Rose.
made, 84th in rebounds, 57th in turnovers, 33rd in fouls and 95th in points. Below are his entire career stats.
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 65 || 52 || 36.1 || .489 || .000 || .664 || 8.4 || 2.5 || .8 || .2 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 81 || 81 || 40.7 || .489 || .308 || .749 || 8.1 || 4.4 || .8 || .5 || 22.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 82 || 82 || 40.5 || .486 || .000 || .756 || 8.0 || 3.8 || 1.1 || .3 || 19.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 64 || 64 || 40.0 || .467 || .000 || .721 || 7.0 || 3.3 || 1.3 || .4 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 36 || 36 || 39.7 || .474 || .000 || .753 || 8.1 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .4 || 18.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 82 || 82 || 35.5 || .459 || .000 || .735 || 5.7 || 3.0 || .8 || .3 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 54 || 54 || 36.7 || .474 || .000 || .770 || 7.0 || 2.9 || .9 || .4 || 18.2
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 27 || 27 || 36.8 || .488 || .000 || .780 || 7.1 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .6 || 17.8
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 53 || 44 || 31.3 || .462 || .000 || .754 || 7.4 || 1.8 || .5 || .6 || 12.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Denver
| 28 || 28 || 34.9 || .457 || .000 || .770 || 7.9 || 2.7 || .6 || .6 || 17.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Denver
| 77 || 77 || 35.5 || .450 || .500 || .803 || 7.6 || 3.0 || 1.0 || .3 || 18.4
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Orlando
| 81 || 77 || 35.5 || .453 || .000 || .809 || 7.0 || 2.0 || .7 || .3 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Houston
| 61 || 47 || 26.6 || .451 || .000 || .843 || 5.7 || 1.5 || .5 || .1 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Houston
| 80 || 80 || 31.7 || .459 || .000 || .806 || 6.7 || 1.4 || .6 || .1 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Houston
| 80 || 38 || 26.5 || .465 || .000 || .824 || 5.9 || 1.6 || .4 || .1 || 9.7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 50 || 0 || 7.1 || .359 || .000 || .786 || 1.6 || .3 || .1 || .0 || 1.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Denver
| 3 || 0 || 7.3 || .500 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || .7 || .3 || .3 || .7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Charlotte
| 39 || 2 || 11.5 || .510 || .000 || .676 || 1.8 || .6 || .2 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Portland
| 73 || 27 || 22.4 || .509 || .000 || .786 || 4.6 || .8 || .4 || .1 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Miami
| 57 || 0 || 10.4 || .440 || .000 || .829 || 2.1 || .4 || .2 || .1 || 2.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1173 || 898 || 31 || .470 || .120 || .764 || 6.3 || 2.3 || .7 || .3 || 13.7
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 16.0 || .200 || .000 || .000 || 6.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || .0 || 2.0
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | Washington
| 3 || 3 || 43.0 || .465 || .000 || .889 || 6.0 || 1.7 || .7 || .7 || 18.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Dallas
| 10 || 10 || 39.1 || .360 || .000 || .800 || 8.3 || 1.4 || .6 || .5 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Houston
| 7 || 0 || 22.4 || .400 || .000 || .636 || 4.4 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 3 || 0 || 3.7 || .000 || .000 || .250 || .0 || .3 || .0 || .0 || .3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Portland
| 6 || 0 || 14.5 || .526 || .000 || .000 || 2.7 || .7 || .2 || .2 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Miami
| 11 || 0 || 5.5 || .444 || .000 || .692 || .9 || .1 || .0 || .0 || 1.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 40 || 13 || 20.9 || .398 || .000 || .758 || 4.0 || .8 || .4 || .2 || 6.6
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who last played for the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
by the Washington Bullets. A former All-Star and All-NBA power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
, he also starred as an All-American on the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
team during the Fab Five
Fab Five (University of Michigan)
The Fab Five was the nickname for a 1991 University of Michigan men's basketball team recruitment class that is considered by some to be "the greatest class ever recruited." The class consisted of Detroit natives Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, Chicago native Juwan Howard, and Texas high school...
years and, earlier, on the Chicago Vocational Career Academy team as a center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
. In addition to being an All-American in high school, he was an honors student
Honors student
An honors student is a person recognized for achieving high grades or high marks in their course work.Honors students may refer to# Students recognized for their academic achievement on lists published periodically throughout the school year, known as honor rolls, varying from school to school, and...
.
Howard was a member of the Fab Five (along with Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
, Jalen Rose
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose is a retired American professional basketball player, who currently works as a sports analyst for the sports television network ESPN...
, Jimmy King
Jimmy King
Jimmy Hal King is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.-College career:He was part of the famed University of Michigan Wolverines Fab Five along with Ray Jackson, current NBA player Juwan Howard, and former NBA players Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, that reached the 1992 and...
and Ray Jackson
Ray Jackson
Ray Jackson is a retired American college and professional basketball player. He was part of the famed University of Michigan Wolverines Fab Five along with former NBA players Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose and current NBA player Juwan Howard that reached the 1992 & 1993 NCAA Men's Division...
) that reached the finals of the 1992
1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 19, 1992, and ended with the championship game on April 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
and 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
as freshmen and sophomores while starting a combined 304 of a possible 350 games. Howard is the last member of the Fab Five who remains active as a professional basketball player. Most Michigan Wolverines men's basketball records and accomplishments from 1992 to 1998 have been forfeited because of NCAA sanctions stemming from the University of Michigan basketball scandal
University of Michigan basketball scandal
The University of Michigan basketball scandal or Ed Martin scandal was a six-year investigation of the relationship between the University of Michigan, its men's basketball teams and basketball team booster Ed Martin...
. However, Howard's 1993–94 All-American
1994 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The Consensus 1994 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the...
season accomplishment has not been.
He played six and a half seasons for the Bullets/Wizard franchise and three full seasons for the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. He has not played more than two seasons for any other teams. During his rookie year as a professional, he became the first player to graduate on time with his class after leaving college early to play in the NBA. After one season as an All-Rookie player and a second as an All-NBA performer, he became the first NBA player to sign a $100 million contract. Although he continued to be a productive starter, he never again performed at an All-Star level. Near the end of his contract, he was traded at the NBA trade deadline twice to make salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
room. In 2010, he signed with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and entered his 17th NBA season, during which he reached the playoffs for the sixth time and made his first career NBA Finals
2011 NBA Finals
The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010–11 season of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 4–2, to win their first NBA title...
appearance. During his first 5 seasons in the NBA, he averaged 19.3 points per game, but has only averaged 17 points in three of his seasons since. The 2005–06 NBA season was the most recent in which he was a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
in more than half of the games in which he played and averaged more than 30 minutes per game. Howard has developed a reputation as a humanitarian for his civic commitment.
Overview
Howard's single mother was 17 when he was born and did not want to raise her child. Howard was brought up by his maternal grandmother, Jannie Mae Howard, who adopted him. He grew up in a three-bedroom apartment on 69th Street on the South Side of Chicago. His biological father, Leroy Watson, Jr., wanted to name him Howard Leroy III, but his grandmother decided otherwise.Howard attended Chicago Vocational Career Academy, where he was named a 1991 All-American basketball player by Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
magazine and won McDonald's All American honors. He was also chosen for the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
. During recruiting visits by college coaches such as Lou Henson, Joey Meyer and Fisher, Jannie Mae Howard did most of the questioning. His grandmother died a few hours after he announced that he would attend Michigan. After her fatal heart attack, Howard moved in with his high-school coach, Richard Cook. Howard has no siblings and is not close to his biological parents.
Sophomore year
At the start of his sophomore year in 1988, Howard was 15 years old and already expected to be a 1991 blue chipBlue chip (sports)
The term "blue chip" is commonly used to describe athletes who are being targeted to be drafted or signed by teams at the next level. It is most commonly used to describe high school players being recruited by college teams, but can also refer to collegiate players being scouted by professional...
recruit, highly prized by college basketball coaches. He was regarded as one of the best sophomores in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago Public School League coaches choose an annual roster of the best performers each season. He was a second-team selection and the only sophomore named to the 20-man 1988–89 All-Chicago Public School League team.
The summer after his sophomore year, the 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) center attended the Nike Academic Betterment and Career Development (ABCD) camp, which was held annually in , during the late 1980s. There he was matched against the 7 in 4 in (2.24 m) Shawn Bradley
Shawn Bradley
Shawn Paul Bradley is a retired American and German basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. At tall, Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history...
. At this camp, Howard established himself as one of the best junior-year big men (tall basketball players) in the country despite having his shots blocked
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
several times by the much taller Bradley. He was involved in controversy for receiving a second pair of sneakers at the camp. Howard explained the situation as follows: "I was issued a pair of shoes at the beginning of camp. But they tore. I was issued another pair. Then a counselor gave me another pair. I thought it was a joke. But somebody saw me walk out with a shoebox and thought I had stolen some shoes." Under pressure from camp officials, on three occasions Howard denied he had taken the extra pair of shoes. Finally, as a disciplinary measure, he was shipped home on the last day of the six-day camp. Howard said. "I was so scared, I threw the shoes out of a window in my dormitory." He also participated in the Bill Cronauer (B/C) camp in , which was attended by more than 100 college coaches. During the camp, he became ranked as one of the top 10 underclassmen in the country. Howard attended other camps that summer and had a goal of surpassing Deon Thomas
Deon Thomas
Deon La velle Thomas is an American former basketball player.-High school:Thomas was a star basketball player at Chicago's Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School , graduating in 1989. As a junior in 1988, he led the Wolverines to the Chicago Public League title. As a senior, he was named Illinois Mr...
, who was the reigning Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
basketball player of the year, as the best big man in the state. By the time he ended his college career in 1994, Howard was drafted a full round ahead of Thomas, which marked Howard's achievement of his goal.
Junior year
As Howard and Tom KleinschmidtTom Kleinschmidt
Tom Kleinschmidt is a retired American basketball player and current head basketball coach at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois...
entered their junior years, some sources listed Kleinschmidt as the number one junior in the state. Others considered Howard the top prospect. Howard was said to be leaning toward playing for DePaul
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball
The DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
or, because of his admiration for Thomas, for the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at Assembly Hall, located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's campus in Champaign....
. By the end of his junior year, league coaches named him to the first-team All-Chicago Public School League. He was selected to the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
All-Area team as well as the Class-AA All-State team and established himself as the top Chicago-area junior ahead of Kleinschmidt. He had a sub-par performance against King High School
King College Prep High School
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. College Preparatory High School is a high school located in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood on Drexel Blvd., about one kilometer from Lake Michigan...
in the Chicago Public School League semifinals, but the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
named him to its All-State second team.
Howard was also an honors student. After his junior year, he was one of 10 Illinois players invited back to the Nike All-American Camp at Princeton. Others invited included Kleinschmidt, Donnie Boyce
Donnie Boyce
Donald Nathaniel Boyce is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA....
, William Gates, Billy Taylor, Rashard Griffith
Rashard Griffith
Rashard Nathan Griffith is an American professional basketball player. Griffith, a native of Chicago, Illinois, starred for the nationally ranked King Jaguars of the Chicago Public League, where he was part of a "twin towers," as King, coached by Landon Cox, had 7'2" Thomas Hamilton and the 7'0"...
and Howard Nathan
Howard Nathan
Howard Nathan is a retired American professional basketball player. Nathan attended DePaul University, Northeast Louisiana University and Northwest Arkansas Community College...
. Although Howard was perceived as one of the top Chicago prospects at that time, the best Chicago-area prospect was Glenn Robinson
Glenn Robinson
Glenn A. "Big Dog" Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He last played during the 2004–05 season.-Early life:...
of . By this time, Howard had eliminated DePaul from consideration since Deryl Cunningham, another Chicago-area all-star who might have otherwise convinced Howard to stay in Chicago, had transferred to Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....
. He was considering Michigan, Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
, Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
, Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
, Dayton
Dayton Flyers men's basketball
The Dayton Flyers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Ten Conference representing the University of Dayton. They are known for a rivalry with Xavier University, playing for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy each year.-History:The...
, Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball
The Marquette Golden Eagles Basketball team is the basketball team that represents Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school's 1977 team, coached by Al McGuire, won the NCAA championship. Currently the team competes in the Big East Conference. It last played in the NCAA Division I...
and Illinois. Howard was evaluated as the best senior at the camp that included Chris Webber
Chris Webber
Mayce Edward Christopher "Chris" Webber, III , nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired American professional basketball player. He is a five-time NBA All-Star, a former All-NBA First Teamer, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former #1 overall NBA Draftee...
, Cherokee Parks
Cherokee Parks
Cherokee Bryan Parks is an American professional basketball player.A 6' 11" , 240 lbs center, Parks played his college basketball at Duke University under coach Mike Krzyzewski and won the 1992 national title during his freshman year...
, Robinson, and Alan Henderson
Alan Henderson
Alan Lybrooks Henderson is an American former professional basketball player of the NBA. He stands 6'9" tall. Henderson attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana. They lost the Indiana State title game his senior year to Glenn Robinson's Gary Roosevelt squad...
. After being named Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(MVP) at the prestigious Boston Shootout and being acknowledged as the leading participant at Nike camp, he was mentioned as the best prospect in the country. Howard's top six possible schools were Michigan, Nevada-Las Vegas
UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in...
, Kentucky, Marquette, Arizona and Dayton. After he was declared the best player at the Nike camp, his household was besieged by recruiters. Howard issued the following statement "Contact my coach. I do not want my grandmother and aunt upset about calls at all times of the day and night. I'm not the only person who lives in this house. I think my wishes should be respected. If not, when it comes time to make my decision, I'll take those things into account." Although Howard was the best performer at the camp, some felt Webber and Robinson were his equals as prospects. Howard was Illinois' number one recruit, but the team was under investigation for recruiting violations. By the end of July 1990, Howard was projected to sign with Michigan.
Senior year
In the final days before his senior season decision regarding his college basketballCollege basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
team decision, Howard wavered between Arizona State and Michigan. He had also made an official visit to Dayton. Despite the ongoing recruiting scandal, he also made an unofficial visit to the University of Illinois, which had recruited four of the five previous Chicago Public School League Illinois Players of the Year. At the time of his decision, he was considered one of the top five seniors in the country, but he decided not to hold a press conference to announce his decision. Although the official signing period was set for November 14–21, 1990, he selected Michigan on November 2. Howard averaged 26.9 points, 8.4 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
and 3.4 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
during his senior season, and finished in the top 10 percent of his academic class. He had become friends with Jimmy King when they visited Michigan on the same weekend and is said to have influenced King's decision to enroll there. Howard's signing made up for the inability of Steve Fisher
Steve Fisher
Steve Fisher is an American college basketball coach currently at San Diego State University.Fisher attended Illinois State University, where he helped lead the Redbirds to the 1967 Division II Final Four. After school, he became a high school coach in Park Forest, Illinois. In 1979, he accepted...
, Michigan's head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
, to recruit Eric Montross
Eric Montross
Eric Scott Montross is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA....
the prior year, even though Montross' father and grandfather had played for Michigan. With Jalen Rose, Webber, Howard and King, the Michigan recruiting class was considered to be the best in the nation. Some regarded the class as among the greatest recruiting classes of all time.
As a senior, Howard edged Griffith and Kiwane Garris
Kiwane Garris
Kiwane Garris is an American former professional basketball player. He was listed as a 6'2" , 183 lb point guard....
for the most votes to the Sun-Times annual All-Chicago Public School League boys' basketball team. He was also selected to the All-Area team. He was also a repeat Class-AA All-State selection. Howard, Kleinschmidt and Robinson were all selected to the 10-member first team of Parade magazine's 40-member high school All-America boys' basketball team. Howard and Kleinschmidt were selected to play in the McDonald's All-America game. In the game, West MVP Webber posted 28 points and 12 rebounds and Howard added 16 points as the West won 108–106. Howard also earned the Gatorade Circle of Champions' Illinois Player of the Year Award. In late April, Howard was informed that his ACT test score was high enough to make him eligible under Proposition 48
Proposition 48 (NCAA)
Proposition 48 is an NCAA regulation that stipulates minimum high school grades and standardized test scores that student-athletes must meet in order to participate in college athletic competition.As of 2010, the regulation is as follows:...
academic requirements to play as a freshman. Only eight of the top 25 Chicago Public School League players passed the test.
College career
Freshman yearAs Michigan celebrated Midnight Madness
Midnight Madness (basketball)
Midnight Madness is an annual event on college campuses that celebrates the first day in mid-October that the National Collegiate Athletic Association permits formal basketball practices each college basketball season. In some cases, the name has literal meaning since an event is scheduled...
on October 15, 1991, there was already talk that at least four of the five freshmen would be starting before the season ended. (The five eventually started in a combined 304 of a possible 350 man-games among them during their first two seasons.) Early in his freshman season for the 1991–92 Michigan Wolverines, Howard started in some games and came off the bench in others for the highly-rated Wolverines. Over time, he won the starting role from Eric Riley
Eric Riley
Eric Riley is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Riley played for the Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics in five NBA seasons, averaging 3.1...
. In the first matchup against Illinois, Howard scored 13 points and denied Thomas the ball consistently enough to hold him to 8 shots. His biggest contribution in the game was getting his hand on a loose ball to force a jump ball
Jump ball
A jump ball is a method used to begin or resume play in basketball. It is similar to a face-off in ice hockey or ball-up in Australian rules football...
with 16 seconds left and Michigan leading by only three. In the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
round of the 1992 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Michigan earned a rematch against a Jimmy Jackson
Jim Jackson (basketball)
James Arthur "Jim" Jackson is an American retired professional basketball player. Over his 14 NBA seasons, Jackson was on the active roster of 12 different teams, tying the league record. He is currently a basketball analyst on the Big Ten Network.-High school and college career:Jackson was a 6'6"...
-led Ohio State Buckeyes team that had beaten them twice during the regular season by double digits. Michigan won the rematch, during which the Fab Five scored all but two Wolverines points. When the 24–8 Wolverines reached the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
round of the tournament, they found themselves matched against a 29–4 Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins, nicknamed "Huggy Bear", is the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University...
-coached Cincinnati Bearcats
1991–92 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
The 1991–92 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented the University of Cincinnati in NCAA Division I competition in the 1991–92 season...
team that averaged 83.6 points
Point (basketball)
Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws ....
per game and had lost to only three teams, two of which had beaten Michigan. Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...
, who became the starter in the middle of the season, led Cincinnati in postseason scoring. Howard, King and Riley shaved their heads for the game. Michigan won and earned a rematch with the Duke Blue Devils team
1991-92 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 1991–92 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team was a Division I college basketball team that competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Led by All-American Christian Laettner, Duke won its 2nd national championship in as many years to become the first repeating team since UCLA's seven-year...
that had beaten them by three points in overtime in December. In the initial contest, Howard had only scored four points. Entering the final game, he was averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. The day before the game, Howard endured dehydration from stomach cramps and a fever that necessitated that he receive fluids. As a result of his condition he was exempted from mandatory media meetings. Howard was part of a rotation with Webber and Riley that guarded the National Player of the Year, Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
. During Laettner's first six possessions against Howard, Laettner dribbled the basketball off his foot, missed a shot, threw a turnover
Turnover (basketball)
In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of the opposing team by losing the ball. This can result from the ball being stolen, the player making mistakes such as stepping out or throwing the ball out of bounds, or committing a violation or committing...
, traveled
Traveling (basketball)
In basketball, traveling is a violation of the rules that occurs when a player holding the ball moves one or both of his feet illegally. Most commonly, a player travels by illegally moving his pivot foot or taking too many steps without dribbling the ball....
, threw the ball away and hit the backboard with a shot. However, Duke scored in its final 12 possessions of the championship game, going on a 23–6 run to win by a final margin of 71–51. Despite his medical difficulties, Howard contributed 9 points in 29 minutes. Howard earned a reputation for his quick feet, ability to grasp fundamentals, excellent moves in the low post, but also 2-to-1 turnover-to-assist ratio and a high number of fouls
Foul (basketball)
In basketball, a foul is an infraction of the rules concerning illegal personal contact with an opponent and/or unsportsmanlike behavior. A personal foul is the most common type of foul in basketball. Due to the nature of the game, personal fouls occur on occasion and are not always regarded as...
.
Sophomore year
As his sophomore year began, there were reports that during the 1992 summer a controversy had arisen when three Wolverines were found to have been paid $300 to participate in a charity basketball tournament. Furthermore, some others, including Howard, appeared at several summer basketball camps together, which was a possible violation of NCAA rules. The following season, Michigan returned its top nine scorers and began the season ranked number one in the country by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. Michigan lost its second game of the season in a rematch with . As a sophomore member of the 1992–93 Wolverines, Howard was described as the steadiest player by coach Fisher. Meanwhile, the Chicago vocational team that he led to back-to-back city Final Fours fell to successive 4–20 and 4–21 records without him. During the season, Howard acquired a million-dollar disability insurance policy approved by the NCAA under the Exceptional Student Athlete Disability Insurance Program available to student-athletes who are projected to be chosen high in the NBA, National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL), and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
drafts. As a freshman and sophomore, he was not only united with the Fab Five and future NBA player Riley, he was teammates with Rob Pelinka
Rob Pelinka
Robert Todd Pelinka, Jr. is an American lawyer, National Basketball Association sports agent and former college basketball player from Lake Bluff, Illinois . He is best known as Kobe Bryant's agent and President and CEO of The Landmark Sports Agency, LLC...
. In the semifinals of the 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament against , Howard held Jamal Mashburn
Jamal Mashburn
Jamal Mashburn is a retired American professional basketball player. A small forward, Mashburn was a prolific scorer in his 12 seasons in the league, with a career scoring average of 19.1 points per game...
in check defensively, while contributing on offense. When the 31–4 Wolverines were matched up against the 33–4 1992–93 Tar Heels
1992–93 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 1992–93 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina in the 1992-93 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 34-4 overall, won the ACC regular season title with a 14-2 record and...
in the championship game, both coach Fisher and Carolina's coach Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
were seeking their second national championship. During the championship game Howard picked up his second personal foul
Foul (basketball)
In basketball, a foul is an infraction of the rules concerning illegal personal contact with an opponent and/or unsportsmanlike behavior. A personal foul is the most common type of foul in basketball. Due to the nature of the game, personal fouls occur on occasion and are not always regarded as...
with 9 minutes 42 seconds remaining in the first half as the entire team dealt with foul trouble. The game would be remembered as the one in which Webber's technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
for calling a time out when the team had none left led to a Tar Heel victory. Over the course of the season, Howard averaged 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. After the season, Webber and Howard were invited to try out for the United States national basketball team that would compete at the 1993 World University Games
1993 Summer Universiade
The 1993 Summer Universiade, also known as the XVII Summer Universiade, took place in Buffalo, New York, United States of America.-Medal table:-External links:*...
and Under-22 World Championships
FIBA Under-21 World Championship
The FIBA Under-21 World Championship was a men's under-21-only basketball competition organized by FIBA. It was formerly the FIBA 22 & Under World Championship before FIBA lowered the age limit to 21 years in December 1998, and had its name changed to World Championship for Young Men. The...
.
Junior year
After Webber left for the NBA, the 1993–94 Wolverines team
1993–94 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
The 1993–94 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1993–94 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction...
entered the season ranked fifth in the nation as it opened the season against number 13 . During the season, Howard had a case of the chicken pox in January. Michigan found itself with a 21–6, (13–4 Big Ten) record and tied with the Purdue Boilermakers for the conference lead with one game remaining. Michigan then lost (for the third time in its last four games) to a struggling team, and finished second in the conference. After the season, Howard was selected as a first team All-Big-Ten member along with his teammate Rose, Purdue's Robinson, Michigan State's Shawn Respert
Shawn Respert
Shawn Christopher Respert is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'1", 195 lb. shooting guard, he attended Bishop Borgess High School, and he came to prominence while playing college basketball at Michigan State University where his jersey is now retired...
, and Indiana's Damon Bailey
Damon Bailey
Damon Bailey is a retired American basketball player, who then-Indiana University head coach Bob Knight called a "hot prospect" while recruiting him when Bailey was in eighth grade, as mentioned in author John Feinstein's bestselling book A Season on the Brink.- High school career :Bailey was...
. In the opening round of the 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, Howard helped Michigan survive with a 78–74 overtime victory over by scoring 28 points and adding 9 rebounds before fouling out. In the second round, Howard posted 34 points and 18 rebounds to lead the team to a 84–79 victory over . Michigan faced a Joe Smith-led in the Sweet Sixteen round. Howard scored 24 and had 11 rebounds before fouling out with 2:49 remaining in the 78–71 victory. Howard earned the regional MVP award with a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds despite collecting two fouls in the first two minutes in the Elite Eight round against a victorious Arkansas team
1993–94 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team
The 1993–94 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas. The Head Coach was Nolan Richardson. The team played its home games in the Bud Walton Arena, and was a member of the Southeastern Conference.-Awards and honors:...
that had United States President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
as a vocal supporter. After the season, he announced his intention to enter the 1994 NBA Draft. The following day, Rose announced he would enter the draft as well.
Howard left Michigan after being named an Associated Press third team All-American during his junior year, and was taken by the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
. Howard was represented by David Falk
David Falk
David B. Falk is an American sports agent who primarily works with basketball players in the National Basketball Association. Falk began his career representing professional tennis players for Donald Dell's ProServ and is best known for representing sports icon Michael Jordan for the entirety of...
. Although the Fab Five games in the Final Four have been forfeited, Howard was not among the players (including Robert Traylor
Robert Traylor
Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor was an American professional basketball player.-High school and college:...
, Webber, Rose, Maurice Taylor
Maurice Taylor
Maurice De Shawn Taylor is an American professional basketball power forward.-College career:Taylor attended the University of Michigan. The athletic forward, from Henry Ford High School in Detroit, burst onto the national scene during the 1994 Maui Invitational with fellow freshman Maceo Baston...
, and Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock
Louis Bullock, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He is currently with the pro club CB Cajasol Sevilla in Spain....
) called before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
to testify in the University of Michigan basketball scandal and was not found to have received large amounts of money.
Scouting report
In college, Howard was regarded as one of the best defensive big men in the country. He was also regarded as the rock-solid, rebounds-and-defense power forward in contrast to his flamboyant teammate Webber. Michigan coach Steve FisherSteve Fisher
Steve Fisher is an American college basketball coach currently at San Diego State University.Fisher attended Illinois State University, where he helped lead the Redbirds to the 1967 Division II Final Four. After school, he became a high school coach in Park Forest, Illinois. In 1979, he accepted...
referred to him as "My Rock of Gibraltar". His consistency was described by a Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
journalist poetically as "their ballast, steadying them on those many occasions when they wavered. And their savior, rescuing them from their many follies".
After the 1994 NBA Draft
1994 NBA Draft
The 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
, NBA analyst Doug Collins
Doug Collins
Paul Douglas "Doug" Collins is a retired American basketball player, a former four-time NBA All-Star and currently the head coach of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college:...
described Howard as a player who can "play with his back to the basket and can shoot from about 16 feet outside" and who "plays with a lot of energy and emotion". The Baltimore Sun noted that he is a power forward who is able to play center, adding that at Michigan he was "most effective playing with his back to the basket" but could also pass effectively and hit medium-range jumpers. The Bullets' head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Jim Lynam
Jim Lynam
Jim Lynam is an American former college and professional basketball coach. He coached at the college level for Fairfield University from 1968–70, American University from 1973–78, and St. Joseph's University from 1978–81...
described Howard as a "complete player" and noted that "he can defend you and he can score over you". The team's general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, John Nash
John Nash (basketball)
John Nash was a NBA General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Bullets. He also has worked as a broadcaster for Comcast, and in several other NBA front office jobs....
, said that "the things that impressed me most about him were his character, his intelligence and his insight. He's a leader type." Nash told another journalist that Howard was "as fundamentally sound as any player in the draft" and that he "has a discipline about his game and uses a high level of skill and technique". The Baltimore Sun said, "Not only can Howard post up, he passes effectively and is able to hit a jumper up to 17 feet," adding that he "also is an excellent position defender".
When he first became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1996, Howard was described as versatile enough to play all three front-line positions (small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
, power forward and center), and Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
loved his "game, work ethic and character". In 2000–01 with Dallas, he was still regarded as a versatile offensive player who could "take advantage of smaller defenders in the paint and then stretch his bigger defenders outside" in addition to being a solid rebounder. However by 2001, some regarded him as a high-priced, under-achieving player. In 2002, he was described by a journalist from his hometown Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
as a solid veteran at the four (power-forward position) but not a natural small forward. In the NBA, Howard developed a respected inside post-up game and a reputation as a veteran leader, according to Kiki Vandeweghe, the general manager of the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, in 2003.
Early Washington era (1994–1996)
Entering the , the NBA was without a collective bargaining agreement, and Howard was unsigned two weeks before training camp began. He continued to train in Chicago in late September while rumors swirled about possible trades. On November 9, Carlos RogersCarlos Rogers (basketball)
Carlos Deon Rogers is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1st round of the 1994 NBA Draft....
signed, making Howard the last first-round selection without a contract. He missed most of the first month of the season and resided at an O'Hare Airport hotel while protracted talks continued. The Bullets stuck to a 10-year, $30 million ($ million today) offer. On November 17, Howard signed a 12-year, $37.5 million ($ million) contract and eventually moved into the starting lineup. While holding out, he was rumored to be part of a package deal with Calbert Cheaney and a first-round draft choice for Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
. Another rumor had Howard being packaged with Rex Chapman
Rex Chapman
Rex Everett Chapman is a retired American professional basketball player. Chapman was a college standout at the University of Kentucky and went on to play for four NBA teams through his 12-year career in the league...
and Don MacLean
Don MacLean (basketball)
Donald James MacLean is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. As a college player, he holds the distinction of being the all-time scoring leader of both the Pac-10 Conference and UCLA, although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have most likely attained both of those records had...
for Pippen. Once he signed, he was reunited with Michigan teammate Webber as a member of the Bullets. Webber was traded from the to the Bullets on November 18 for Tom Gugliotta
Tom Gugliotta
Thomas James Gugliotta is a former American professional basketball player....
and three first-round draft choices. Webber had also sat out training camp and the first eight games of the season.
After Webber joined the Bullets, many thought that the two former Fab Five members would bring success to the team, coached by Lynam. The Washington front line was anticipated to include Webber, Howard, and Kevin Duckworth
Kevin Duckworth
Kevin Jerome Duckworth was an American professional basketball player at center in the National Basketball Association. A native of Illinois, he played college basketball at Eastern Illinois University before being drafted in 1986 in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs...
and to have Gheorghe Mureşan
Gheorghe Muresan
Gheorghe Dumitru Mureşan, , also known as Ghiţă or George, is a retired Romanian professional basketball player. At 7 ft 7 in , he is one of the tallest players in NBA history, along with Sudanese player Manute Bol, who was also 7 ft 7 in. Both Mureşan's parents are of average size, and,...
, a 7 in 7 in (231.14 cm) Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n center coming off the bench. Chapman, MacLean, Cheaney, Mitchell Butler
Mitchell Butler
Mitchell Leon Butler is a retired American professional basketball player most notable for playing in the NBA from 1993 to 2004....
and Scott Skiles
Scott Skiles
Scott Allen Skiles is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and former American professional basketball player. He also is the former head coach of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game, with 30...
were expected to provide solid perimeter play. Experts projected the Bullets as contenders for the conference title. As a power forward, Howard posted impressive numbers once he became a regular. Over the course of the season, he averaged 17.0 points per game and posted 17 double-doubles in 65 games played (52 starts). He totalled 30 points or more on three separate occasions. Howard participated in the February 11, 1995, NBA All-Star Game
1995 NBA All-Star Game
The 1995 NBA All-Star Game was the 45th edition of the All-Star Game. The Western Conference won 139-112. The city of Phoenix hosted the event. Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings was voted MVP of the game.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:...
weekend events as a member of the youth challenge match. He earned second team All-Rookie honors at the end of the season, and became the first NBA athlete who entered the draft early and still graduated with his academic class. The team endured 317 man-games of injury, however, and finished with a 21–61 record.
He majored in radio-television communication (with a minor in business) at Michigan and graduated to fulfill his promise to his grandmother. Although had spent the prior year playing in the NBA, he returned to campus to partake in graduation ceremonies with his classmates. Howard had promised his grandmother on the final day he saw her alive that he would graduate. When he made it to the NBA, he quickly realized how much leisure time the multimillionaire players had and decided to do something productive instead of find ways to spend his new riches. Howard stated that "I knew if I kept pushing it off, I'd never get it done." In order to complete his final 32 course hours, he took summer classes in 1994. Then, he continued to study on road trips and mailed in papers from the nearest post office. He took correspondence classes and independent study
Independent study
Independent study is a form of education offered by many high schools, colleges, and other educational institutions around the world. It is sometimes referred to as directed study...
. While juggling professional basketball duties and coursework, he continued to find time for charity work and time to visit hospitals. In the end he earned his bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. He feels it makes him a better example when he serves as a speaker about staying in school. During the graduation, the keynote speaker, Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman
Marian Wright Edelman is an American activist for the rights of children. She is president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund.-Early years:...
, paid special recognition to Howard and Fab Five teammates King and Jackson who graduated together and noted that Howard's graduation made him a role model for children.
In the off-season, the traded Chapman, MacLean and Duckworth, and they drafted Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
. The team was expected to be a contender with Webber, Howard, Muresan, Mark Price
Mark Price
William Mark Price is a retired American basketball player who played for 12 seasons in the NBA, from 1986 to 1998...
, and Robert Pack
Robert Pack
Robert John Pack, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Nicknamed "Pac-Man", the point guard had a thirteen season career in the NBA, most notably with the Denver Nuggets.-High school and college career:Pack attended...
. Webber, Price and Pack missed almost the entire 1995–96 season (65, 75 and 51 games respectively) because of injuries. in spite of the injuries to several key teammates, 1995–96 was Howard's best season. During the season, he finished 3rd in the NBA in minutes played, 6th in points scored and 10th in points per game (22.1). Over the course of the season, he accumulated 22 double-doubles in 81 games, including 6 in his last 8 games. He concluded the season by scoring at least 20 points in his last 16 games. His strong finish earned him NBA player of the month for April, and he earned his only career All-Star game selection for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game
1996 NBA All-Star Game
The 1996 NBA All-Star Game was the 46th edition of the NBA All-Star Game. The game was hosted at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls was selected MVP of the game.-Eastern All-Stars:-Western All-Stars:...
and his only All-NBA selection at the end of the season. Howard became just the second player in Washington franchise history, after Bernard King
Bernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
, to post back-to-back 40-point games (against Boston
1995–96 Boston Celtics season
The 1995–96 Boston Celtics season was the 50th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association .-Draft picks:-See also:*1995–96 NBA season...
on April 17, 1996, with 40, and at Toronto
1995–96 Toronto Raptors season
The Toronto Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first games in 1995, and were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies.-Expansion draft:...
on April 19, 1996, with 42). In addition to his two 40-point performances, he posted 3 additional 30-point performances and scored at least 20 points in a total of 56 of 81 games. Howard also made news that season for his theatrics after being ejected from a February 27 game against the Charlotte Hornets. He kicked a water cooler across the court and was fined $5,000 for making an obscene gesture. The 42 points proved to be his career high. Averaging 22.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists, he helped the Bullets record 39 victories. This was not enough for the Bullets to make the playoffs during their ninth consecutive losing season.
After averaging 17 points per game as a rookie and more than 22 per game in his second season, Howard became a free agent. The Bullets offered Howard an $89 million contract, and the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
outbid them with a seven-year deal estimated to be worth $98 to $101 million. However, the Heat miscalculated its available salary under the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
by excluding performance bonuses for Tim Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
and P. J. Brown
P. J. Brown
Collier Brown, Jr. , commonly referred to as P. J. Brown, is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association...
and failing to account for the impact of renegotiating Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player, who played most of his 15-year NBA career for the Miami Heat....
's contract before coming to terms with Howard. The league rejected the contract on July 31 because the $9 million for the 1996–97 season violated the cap. Howard then re-signed with the Bullets on August 5. He became the first player in NBA history to sign a contract worth more than $100 million; his seven-year contract was worth $105 million. He never reached the level of All-Star status again. The league ruled on August 5 that the Bullets could re-sign Howard after having renounced his rights on July 15 to free up cap room to sign Tracy Murray
Tracy Murray
Tracy Lamonte Murray is a retired American professional basketball player who played for six different NBA franchises and two Greek clubs, with a final stint in France...
and Lorenzo Williams if they forfeited their 1997 NBA Draft
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
first-round selection rights. The Bullets were not limited by the cap because they were re-signing their own player. The Heat pursued legal remedy in the Florida state courts seeking acknowledgment of the prior validity and superiority of their earlier contract. Although the two contracts that Howard had signed seemed headed for arbitration, the Heat dropped its legal pursuits of Howard. If the Heat had pursued arbitration and had been found guilty of violating the salary cap, the team could have been fined $5 million and Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
could have been suspended for the season. By dropping their actions, the Heat avoided any possible penalties. In addition to signing free agents Murray and Williams, the Bullets traded for Rod Strickland
Rod Strickland
Rodney "Rod" Strickland is a retired American professional basketball player and currently in an administrative role for the University of Kentucky basketball team under head coach John Calipari. Strickland was formerly the director of basketball operations at the University of Memphis...
and Harvey Grant
Harvey Grant
Harvey Grant is a retired American National Basketball Association basketball player. He is the identical twin brother of Horace Grant, also a former NBA player...
.
Late Washington era (1996–2001)
The Bullets became the after asking fans to vote on the name. Over the course of the 1996–97 season, Howard accumulated 24 double doubles in 82 games, while averaging 19.1 points and 8.1 rebounds. Although Howard averaged over 19 points per game and played all 82 games, he only scored 30 or more points twice during the regular season. Howard's only NBA playoff appearance in his six plus seasons with the Washington franchise came during the 1997 NBA Playoffs1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
, when he averaged 18.7 points and 6 rebounds while playing 43 minutes per game. After Lynam coached the Bullets to a 22–24 record, the Bullets hired Bernie Bickerstaff
Bernie Bickerstaff
Bernard Tyrone "Bernie" Bickerstaff is an assistant coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Prior to the Trail Blazers, Bickerstaff was an assistant for the Chicago Bulls and Executive Vice President of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, who posted a 22–13 record. The team finished its regular season with a 44–38 record but was swept in three games in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
first round by the Chicago Bulls
1996–97 Chicago Bulls season
The Chicago Bulls repeated as NBA World Champions. The Bulls would go on to beat the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. The team was led by Michael Jordan, rebound ace Dennis Rodman and perennial all star small forward Scottie Pippen. Other notable players on the club's roster that year were...
, who went on to win their second consecutive NBA championship.
At the beginning of the 1997–98 season, the relocated from the US Airways Arena to the MCI Center. Over the course of the 1997–98 season, Howard accumulated 11 double-doubles in 64 games, while averaging 18.5 points and 8.0 rebounds. He failed to score 30 points in any game. During Bickerstaff's only full season as the Washington coach, the team posted a 42–40 record. Howard, who injured his ankle, played in no games between February 5 and March 17. On April 6, 1998, a woman filed a sexual assault complaint against Howard and Webber (traded by the team a few weeks later) after a party at Howard's house. Lawyers for both offered different accounts; Howard's lawyer said that the woman had initiated an unspecified consensual sex act with one of the men. A grand jury heard testimony from the accuser and many of the 40 so party attendees but neither of the players before the Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
announced that prosecution was not warranted and closed the case in May. In June, Howard filed suit against the woman; he sought compensation for emotional distress for damage to his reputation and image. Melissa Reed, the accuser, was absent during the proceeding and failed to respond to the lawsuit for defamation. In November, Howard was awarded $1 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages
Punitive damages
Punitive damages or exemplary damages are damages intended to reform or deter the defendant and others from engaging in conduct similar to that which formed the basis of the lawsuit...
plus legal costs.
After the 1998–99 NBA lockout
1998–99 NBA lockout
The 1998–99 NBA lockout was the third lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . It lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999, and forced the 1998–99 season to be shortened to 50 games per team and that season's All-Star Game to be canceled...
, the posted an 18–32 record. The team started out 13–19 under Bickerstaff and was 5–13 under Jim Brovelli
Jim Brovelli
Jim Brovelli is the former University of San Francisco Dons men's basketball head coach and hall of fame player.-Biography:As a player Brovelli was a three-year letterman for USF, helping lead the Dons to the NCAA Western Regional in 1963 and 1964. He earned All-WCC honorable mention honors in 1964...
. Howard, a vocal detractor of Bickerstaff, said the coach was not able to make proper in-game adjustments. Howard, who again had an ankle injury, missed the last 14 games of the season. Over the course of the 1998–99 season, he accumulated 11 double-doubles and two 15-rebound performances in 36 games, while averaging 18.9 points and 7.0 rebounds.
During the 1999–2000 season, Howard accumulated 10 double-doubles in 82 games, while averaging 14.9 points and 8.1 rebounds. That season the endured a 14–30 start under head coach Gar Heard
Gar Heard
Garfield "Gar" Heard, is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the third round of the 1970 NBA Draft...
before going 15–23 under Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'4" and 180 lb , he played as a guard...
. By his sixth season, Howard had become unpopular and a bit of a disappointment in Washington, according to a journalist from the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. During the season, he twice posted 30 points, including a season-high 36 in a fourth-quarter comeback to end a five-game losing streak in January.
During the 2000–01 season, his fifth for the since last being named an All-Star, Howard's pay remained the fourth-highest in the league, behind Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
and Mourning. On December 31, 2000, Howard, in a game against the , posted his career high of 15 free throws. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, who had become part-owner of the team, traded Howard, Obinna Ekezie
Obinna Ekezie
Obinna Ralph Ekezie is a Nigerian professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA. His name, Obinna, means "Father´s heart".-Career:...
, and Calvin Booth
Calvin Booth
Calvin Lawrence Booth is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent.-College career:...
to the for Laettner, Loy Vaught
Loy Vaught
Loy Stephen Vaught is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA, primarily with the Los Angeles Clippers....
, Etan Thomas
Etan Thomas
Dedreck Etan Thomas, commonly referred to as Etan Thomas , is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association.-College:...
, Hubert Davis, Courtney Alexander
Courtney Alexander
Courtney Jason Alexander is an American professional basketball player, formerly in the NBA.After playing high school basketball at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT he moved to Durham, North Carolina to play for C. E...
and $3 million on February 22, 2001, at the NBA trade deadline. Jordan's move was praised for freeing up salary-cap space in advance of the NBA's first season with a luxury tax. That season, Washington finished the year with a 19–63 record under coach Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton is the current head basketball coach at Florida State University. He is a former coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and the NBA's Washington Wizards...
.
2001–2004
During the 2000–01 season, the Mavericks finished 53–29 under coach Don NelsonDon Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
. Howard provided the Mavericks with a back-to-the-basket player who moved into the starting power-forward position, enabling Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
to play small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
and Bradley to play center. During the season, Howard accumulated 16 double-doubles and five 30-point performances in 81 games, while averaging 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. On a team with All-star Michael Finley
Michael Finley
Michael Howard Finley is a retired American professional basketball player. He last played for the Boston Celtics of the NBA.-High school career:...
and future MVPs Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
and Nowitzki, Howard was the highest paid player. On March 20, Howard blocked five shots, his career high, against the . The Mavericks advanced past the 3–2 before falling to the 4–1 in the 2001 NBA Playoffs
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
. The Utah games marked the only time Howard played for a team that won an NBA playoff series. During the series against the Spurs, Howard slammed Spurs guard Derek Anderson to the floor, separating Anderson's shoulder, and was ejected. In the Mavericks' 10 playoff games, Howard accumulated three double-doubles while averaging 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 39.1 minutes.
During the 2001–02 season, he accumulated 17 double-doubles and three 30-point performances in 81 games (72 starts), while averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds. This was the first time since his rookie holdout season that he did not start all his games played. All non-starts occurred between November 21 and December 11, and eight of them were in consecutive games between November 21 and December 5. On January 31, he posted a career-high 16 rebounds against the . The Mavericks traded him with Donnell Harvey
Donnell Harvey
Donnell Eugene Harvey is an American professional basketball player. He previously played in the National Basketball Association for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns...
, Tim Hardaway
Tim Hardaway
Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and who in his prime was one of the league's best point guards...
and a 2002 first-round pick to the for Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz
Raef Andrew LaFrentz is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009. Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets...
, Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
, Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...
and Tariq Abdul-Wahad
Tariq Abdul-Wahad
Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a French former professional basketball player.Saint-Jean was born near Paris from parents who were natives of French Guiana. He changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam in 1997. He is the first player to be born and raised in France and play in the NBA...
on February 21, 2002. At the time of the trade, Howard was considered the Mavericks' best low-post defender. Howard started all 28 games that he played for the Nuggets. Don Nelson's Mavericks posted a 57–25 record and went to the second round of the playoffs after trading Howard, while the Nuggets posted a 27–55 record under coaches Dan Issel
Dan Issel
Daniel Paul Issel is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player and coach.-Collegiate playing career:...
and Mike Evans
Mike Evans (basketball)
Michael Leeroyall "Mike" Evans is a retired American National Basketball Association player and present coach. He played collegiately at Kansas State University where he is Kansas State's 2nd all-time leading points scorer, behind Jacob Pullen, with 2,115 points...
. On March 25, 2002, he scored his 10,000th point.
During a preseason game, Howard attempted to punch Al Harrington
Al Harrington
Albert "Al" Harrington is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's Denver Nuggets...
and Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
, which caused the NBA to suspend him on October 25, 2002. As a result, Howard missed the ' first two games of the regular season, and this cost him $458,000 in salary. During the 2002–03 regular season, he accumulated 18 double-doubles, two 30-point performances, and three 15-rebound performances in 77 games, while averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. The 2002–03 Nuggets were 17–65 under Jeff Bzdelik
Jeff Bzdelik
Jeff Bzdelik is an American basketball coach, currently coaching at Wake Forest University. He formerly coached the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association for slightly over two seasons, from 2002 through 2004...
. Howard started all 77 games in which he played.
He then signed as a free agent with the on July 16, 2003. Over the course of the 2003–04 season he accumulated 16 double-doubles, and two 30-point performances in 81 games (77 starts), while averaging 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds. The team compiled a 21–61 record, the worst in the NBA, under coaches Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
and Johnny Davis.
Houston era (2004–2007)
On June 29, 2004, Howard and Magic teammates Tracy McGradyTracy McGrady
Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...
, Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Jamar Lue is a former American professional basketball player who last played for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association...
and Reece Gaines
Reece Gaines
Clifton Reece Gaines is an American professional basketball guard.Gaines, a 6'6", 205 lb shooting guard played high school basketball at Madison West in his hometown...
were part of a seven-player trade that sent starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
guards Steve Francis
Steve Francis
Steven D'Shawn Francis is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He had also played for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks...
and Cuttino Mobley
Cuttino Mobley
Cuttino Rashawn Mobley is a former American professional basketball shooting guard who played from 1998 to 2008 in the National Basketball Association .-Biography:...
plus Kelvin Cato
Kelvin Cato
- College career :Cato was an obscure player averaging six points and six rebounds at the University of South Alabama in 1992-93. At that time, he struck up a relationship with then University of New Orleans coach Tim Floyd, who recognized Cato's potential. In 1994, Floyd took over as head coach...
to the Magic. Over the course of the 2004–05 season Howard achieved seven double-doubles in 61 games (47 starts), while averaging 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. His 26.6 minutes per game marked the first season that he played less than 32 minutes per game. Maurice Taylor
Maurice Taylor
Maurice De Shawn Taylor is an American professional basketball power forward.-College career:Taylor attended the University of Michigan. The athletic forward, from Henry Ford High School in Detroit, burst onto the national scene during the 1994 Maui Invitational with fellow freshman Maceo Baston...
started the first 16 games of the season for the . Although Taylor was available and played, Howard became the regular starter on December 2 and started for the rest of the season. The 2004–05 Rockets were 51–31 under Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
, and they lost in the first round of the 2005 NBA Playoffs
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
to the 4 games to 3. Although the Rockets made the playoffs, Howard's season ended on March 14, when he left a game with a sprained right knee. The injury coincided with a period in which he developed symptoms of viral myocarditis, including heart palpitation
Palpitation
A palpitation is an abnormality of heartbeat that causes a conscious awareness of its beating, whether it is too slow, too fast, irregular, or at its normal frequency. The word may also refer to this sensation itself...
s, mild chest pains and fever and was diagnosed with a viral infection in his heart. His limited physical activity impaired his medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
rehabilitation.
During the 2005–06 season, Howard recorded 10 double-doubles and two 30-point performances in 80 games, while averaging 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds. He played 31.7 minutes per game, and this was the last season in which he averaged 30 minutes per game as well as the last time that he started at least half of the games in which he played. The were 34–48 under Van Gundy and missed the playoffs.
In the 2006–07 season, Howard achieved nine double-doubles in 80 games played (37 starts), while averaging 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. His 26.5 minutes per game marked a new career low. The Rockets
2006–07 Houston Rockets season
The 2006–07 Houston Rockets season was the 40th season of the Houston Rockets franchise in the NBA. The team ended the regular season with a 52-30 record and a 3rd-place finish in the Southwest. The Rockets faced the Utah Jazz in the playoffs, losing the series in seven games.With the playoff loss,...
acquired Shane Battier
Shane Battier
Shane Courtney Battier is an American professional basketball player . He most recently played with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. He has also been a member of the U.S...
, who started all 82 games. Although Howard only started 38 games, he started 32 consecutive games between December 26, 2006, and March 3, 2007. This streak coincided with Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
's absence from the lineup. The 2006–07 Rockets were 52–30 under Van Gundy and lost in the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
to the , four games to three. In the playoffs, Howard, coming off the bench, averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.4 minutes. Although Howard was described as a consistent role player and locker-room leader, his salary continued to be perceived as outrageous.
2007–present
On June 14, 2007, Howard was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves2007–08 Minnesota Timberwolves season
The 2007-08 Minnesota Timberwolves season was their 19th season in the NBA.Key dates prior to the start of the season:*The 2007 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York on June 28.*The free agency period begins in July.-Draft picks:...
for Mike James
Mike James
Michael Lamont James is an American professional basketball player.-Early years:The youngest of seven siblings, James's childhood was not without challenges. Crime, drugs, and violence troubled his neighborhood streets. Lack of social and economic opportunity made urban living grueling and...
and Justin Reed
Justin Reed
Justin Michael Reed is an American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.Reed has been a free agent since the end of the 2009 season.-College career:...
. He was looking forward to playing with Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
. However, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics
2007–08 Boston Celtics season
The 2007–08 Boston Celtics season was the 62nd season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association . Powered by the acquisitions of perennial All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the offseason, the Celtics finished with a record of 66–16 and posted the best single-season...
on July 31. Howard made it clear he was not interested in being part of a youth movement in Minnesota and consequently requested a trade once Garnett had been dealt. Howard still had $6.88 million and $7.38 million in salary owed to him over the next two seasons, which made him difficult to trade. Wolves owner Glen Taylor
Glen Taylor
Glen A. Taylor is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.-Biography:...
noted that the team would attempt to accommodate his wishes but also noted that it would be difficult. On October 29, 2007, the Timberwolves waived Howard after agreeing to a contractual buyout agreement worth $10 million spread over four years instead of the roughly $14.25 million ($6.88 million plus $7.38 million) that Minnesota would otherwise have owed him.
Howard agreed to terms with the Dallas Mavericks
2007–08 Dallas Mavericks season
The 2007-08 Dallas Mavericks season was their 28th season in the NBA. The Mavericks made the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round for the second straight season by the New Orleans Hornets...
on October 30, 2007; however he was not able to officially sign until the 31st, when he cleared waivers. During the 2007–08 season, he played in 50 games and made no starts, while averaging 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds. In his limited role he never played more than 18 minutes and had season-highs of seven rebounds and six points. The 2007–08 Mavericks were 51–31 under coach Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson is a former American professional basketball player and current head coach of the National Basketball Association team New Jersey Nets. He has also coached the Dallas Mavericks, leading them to their first NBA Finals appearance and four consecutive 50+ win seasons...
and lost in the first round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
to the New Orleans Hornets
2007–08 New Orleans Hornets season
The 2007–08 New Orleans Hornets season was the Hornets' 20th season in the National Basketball Association and their 6th based in New Orleans. They returned to New Orleans full-time for the first time since 2004–05....
four games to one. In the playoffs, Howard only appeared for a total of 11 minutes in three games. This was the only season in Howard's career in which he did not start in a single game.
On October 3, 2008, Howard rejoined the Denver Nuggets
2008–09 Denver Nuggets season
The 2008-09 Denver Nuggets season was the 42nd season of the franchise, 33rd in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period started....
, but was later released when the Nuggets made a three-for-one trade of Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
for Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...
, Antonio McDyess
Antonio McDyess
Antonio Keithflen McDyess is an American professional basketball player. McDyess is listed at 6'9" , 245 lb. and is a power forward/center. In 2009 he signed a 3-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs....
and Cheikh Samb on November 3. When he was waived, he was the only player on the Nuggets' roster without a guaranteed contract. Before the trade, Howard had played in three games during the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
. His appearances had all come from off the bench and lasted between seven minutes and three seconds and seven minutes and forty-two seconds. After Howard departed, the Nuggets went on to post a 54–28 record and reach the Western Conference finals under George Karl
George Karl
George Matthew Karl is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player. He is the current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. On December 10, 2010 he became the seventh coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills,...
. On December 12, 2008, he was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats
2008–09 Charlotte Bobcats season
The 2008–09 Charlotte Bobcats season was the 5th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association since becoming an expansion team in 2004....
. During the 2008–09 season, he played in 42 games, making two starts, while averaging 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds. In his role, he played more than 20 minutes five times including four in a row from January 28 to February 8 and had season-highs of five rebounds and 14 points. He posted 10 or more points five times. He more than 20 minutes on January 28, the night after Gerald Wallace
Gerald Wallace
Gerald Jermaine Wallace is an American professional basketball forward for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.- High school :Wallace attended Childersburg High School in Childersburg, Alabama, where he had a very successful career...
suffered a left-lung collapse as well as a non-displaced fracture of the fifth rib. Although he played 20 minutes in four consecutive appearances, he sat out one intervening game on February 6 with a toe injury. On February 8, in his only start other than his first game as a Bobcat, he played a season-high 30:39 and posted a season-high 14 points. The subsequent night Howard was out of the lineup again with a toe injury. The 2008–09 Bobcats were 35–47 under coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
.
On September 17, 2009, Juwan Howard signed a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers
2009–10 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 2009–10 Portland Trail Blazers season was 40th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 25 - The 2009 NBA Draft took place in New York City.*July 8 - The free agency period started....
. During the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
, he accumulated two double-doubles, played in 73 games, and made 27 starts, while averaging 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. On December 22, Joel Przybilla
Joel Przybilla
Joel Przybilla is an American professional basketball player. A 7'1" center, he last played for the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA.- High school career :...
injured his knee. That night Howard had his first double-double of the season. He had his other double-double the next night when he made his first start of the season. All of Howard's performances with 10 rebounds or more occurred between December 22 and February 3. December 23 marked the start of 14 consecutive starting appearances and 24 starts in 26 appearances. The 2009–10 Trail Blazers were 50–32 under coach Nate McMillan
Nate McMillan
Nathaniel "Nate" McMillan is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers...
and lost in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
to the Phoenix Suns
2009–10 Phoenix Suns season
The 2009–10 Phoenix Suns season was the 42nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association . Head coach Alvin Gentry, who coached the Suns the final 31 games during the previous season, was looking to reinstill the offensive tendencies the Suns had developed in seasons past, using...
, four games to two. Howard appeared in all six games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.5 minutes.
On July 20, 2010, Howard came to terms with the Miami Heat
2010–11 Miami Heat season
The 2010–11 Miami Heat season was the 23rd season of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association . In the regular season, the Heat finished first in the Southeast Division with 58–24 record, and made the NBA Playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year as the Eastern Conference's #2 seed .With...
for the veteran's minimum salary. Although he was only paid the minimum by the Heat, he was in the final year of his four-year buyout from the Timberwolves. On March 31, Howard was fined $35,000 for escalating an altercation the night before. The Heat ended up reaching the NBA Finals, losing to the Dallas Mavericks four games to two. Howard averaged 1.5 points and .9 rebounds a game in the postseason.
Personal
Howard has remained a Chicago resident throughout his NBA career. In 1996, he bought a 3116 square feet (289.5 m²) town home in the South Loop area for $490,000 that he continues to own. In 2009, he paid $2.55 million for a three-bedroom, 3080 square feet (286.1 m²) unit in the Trump International Hotel & TowerTrump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)
The Trump International Hotel and Tower, also known as Trump Tower Chicago and locally as the Trump Tower, is a skyscraper condo-hotel in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The building, named after real estate developer Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill...
. In 2005, Howard bought a 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) $11.775 million property in South Florida's Gables Estates, where he intended to build a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) home, with a dock for a newly purchased 54 feet (16.5 m) yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
named the Fab 5.
Howard's son, Juwan Howard, Jr. (born February 5, 1992), is the child of Markita Blyden, who was runner-up for Michigan's Miss Basketball when she and her twin sister led Detroit's Murray Wright High School to the 1990 Class A state championship game. He finished his senior season at Detroit's Pershing High School in Spring 2010. As a junior, he led his high school to the Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
state championship. As a senior, he was named first team All-State, by both the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
. He committed to play for the Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball
Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball
The Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school's team competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2004...
team.
On July 6, 2002, Howard married Jenine Wardally. At the time, Howard was 29 and Wardally was 27. They have a son Jace who was born in late September 2001. They have a second son Jett, who is two years younger.
Other endeavors
Howard is active in fostering youth basketball activities through the Juwan Howard Foundation, which helps underprivileged youth in Washington, DC and Chicago. He has been recognized as one of the "Good Guys in Sports" by The Sporting NewsThe Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
for his civic contributions. In April 2010, Howard won the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his community efforts, philanthropic work and charitable contributions. His foundation partners with the Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
(CPS) to reach 30,000 kids annually for a reading challenge, where the top 300 readers get to attend his basketball camp. By partnering with the Juwan Howard Foundation, CPS, Jordan Brand, Dell Computers, EMI Music, Vitamin Water and the National Basketball Association, he is able to maintain the camp at no fee to the kids.
Pop culture
Howard had a small role in The West WingThe West Wing (TV series)
The West Wing is an American television serial drama created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999 to May 14, 2006...
, appearing in the 1999 episode "The Crackpots and These Women
The Crackpots and These Women
"The Crackpots and These Women" is the 5th episode from Season 1 of The West Wing.-Plot:The staff participates in "Big Block of Cheese Day", a fictional workday on which White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry encourages his staff to meet with fringe special interest groups that normally would not...
" as Mr. Grant, a former Duke basketball player working on the President's Council on Physical Fitness. Grant joins a pick-up basketball game on the side of the fictional President Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Bartlet
Josiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
, whose team appears to be losing to members of the President's staff. It is later revealed that Grant wins the game for the President.
Howard also appeared in the 1994 basketball film Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams
Hoop Dreams is a 1994 documentary film directed by Steve James, with Kartemquin Films. It follows the story of two African-American high school students in Chicago and their dream of becoming professional basketball players....
. Other appearances include the August 15, 1999 "The Art of Give and Take" episode of Arli$$, the season 5 (2005) "Michigan's Fab 5" episode of Beyond the Glory
Beyond the Glory
Beyond the Glory was a documentary series that profiles some of the most legendary and controversial athletes in recent history. Executive produced by Steve Michaels and Frank Sinton and narrated by accomplished actor and voice-over artist D. B...
, the November 9, 1996 season 2 "Son-in-Law" episode of Hang Time
Hang Time (TV series)
Hang Time is an American teen sitcom that aired from 1995–2000. The teen-oriented program aired on Saturday mornings on NBC as part of the network's TNBC morning block. It was created by Troy Searer, Robert Tarlow, and Mark Fink. Producer Peter Engel took over Fink's duties at the start of Season 2...
and the 2011 documentary The Fab Five
The Fab Five (film)
The Fab Five is a 2011 ESPN Films documentary about the 1990s Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players known collectively as the Fab Five: Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson...
produced by his Michigan teammate Jalen Rose.
Michigan career
The following are Howard's collegiate statisitics:| Season | GP | GS | Min | Avg | FG | FGA | FG% | 3FG | 3FGA | 3FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | OR | DR | RB | Avg | Ast | Avg | PF | DQ | TO | Stl | Blk | Pts | Avg |
| 1991–92 | 34 | 31 | 956 | 28.1 | 150 | 333 | 0.450 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 77 | 112 | 0.688 | 66 | 146 | 212 | 6.2 | 62 | 1.8 | 107 | 3 | 99 | 14 | 21 | 377 | 11.1 |
| 1992–93 | 36 | 36 | 1135 | 31.5 | 206 | 407 | 0.506 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 112 | 160 | 0.700 | 94 | 173 | 267 | 7.4 | 69 | 1.9 | 99 | 3 | 92 | 21 | 14 | 524 | 14.6 |
| 1993–94 | 30 | 30 | 1048 | 34.9 | 261 | 469 | 0.556 | 1 | 7 | 0.143 | 102 | 151 | 0.675 | 95 | 175 | 270 | 9.0 | 71 | 2.4 | 5 | 44 | 21 | 625 | 20.8 | ||
| Total | 100 | 97 | 3139 | 31.4 | 617 | 1209 | 0.510 | 1 | 11 | 0.091 | 291 | 423 | 0.688 | 255 | 494 | 749 | 7.5 | 202 | 2.0 | 11 | 79 | 56 | 1526 | 15.3 |
NBA
, over the course of his NBA career Howard ranked 36th in games played, 76th in field goalsField goal (basketball)
In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
made, 84th in rebounds, 57th in turnovers, 33rd in fouls and 95th in points. Below are his entire career stats.
Regular season
|-| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 65 || 52 || 36.1 || .489 || .000 || .664 || 8.4 || 2.5 || .8 || .2 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 81 || 81 || 40.7 || .489 || .308 || .749 || 8.1 || 4.4 || .8 || .5 || 22.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 82 || 82 || 40.5 || .486 || .000 || .756 || 8.0 || 3.8 || 1.1 || .3 || 19.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 64 || 64 || 40.0 || .467 || .000 || .721 || 7.0 || 3.3 || 1.3 || .4 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 36 || 36 || 39.7 || .474 || .000 || .753 || 8.1 || 3.0 || 1.2 || .4 || 18.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 82 || 82 || 35.5 || .459 || .000 || .735 || 5.7 || 3.0 || .8 || .3 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Washington
| 54 || 54 || 36.7 || .474 || .000 || .770 || 7.0 || 2.9 || .9 || .4 || 18.2
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 27 || 27 || 36.8 || .488 || .000 || .780 || 7.1 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .6 || 17.8
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 53 || 44 || 31.3 || .462 || .000 || .754 || 7.4 || 1.8 || .5 || .6 || 12.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 28 || 28 || 34.9 || .457 || .000 || .770 || 7.9 || 2.7 || .6 || .6 || 17.9
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Denver
| 77 || 77 || 35.5 || .450 || .500 || .803 || 7.6 || 3.0 || 1.0 || .3 || 18.4
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 81 || 77 || 35.5 || .453 || .000 || .809 || 7.0 || 2.0 || .7 || .3 || 17.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
| 61 || 47 || 26.6 || .451 || .000 || .843 || 5.7 || 1.5 || .5 || .1 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Houston
| 80 || 80 || 31.7 || .459 || .000 || .806 || 6.7 || 1.4 || .6 || .1 || 11.8
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Houston
| 80 || 38 || 26.5 || .465 || .000 || .824 || 5.9 || 1.6 || .4 || .1 || 9.7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Dallas
| 50 || 0 || 7.1 || .359 || .000 || .786 || 1.6 || .3 || .1 || .0 || 1.1
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 3 || 0 || 7.3 || .500 || .000 || .000 || 1.3 || .7 || .3 || .3 || .7
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Charlotte
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
| 39 || 2 || 11.5 || .510 || .000 || .676 || 1.8 || .6 || .2 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
| 73 || 27 || 22.4 || .509 || .000 || .786 || 4.6 || .8 || .4 || .1 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" |
| align="left" | Miami
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
| 57 || 0 || 10.4 || .440 || .000 || .829 || 2.1 || .4 || .2 || .1 || 2.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 1173 || 898 || 31 || .470 || .120 || .764 || 6.3 || 2.3 || .7 || .3 || 13.7
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 16.0 || .200 || .000 || .000 || 6.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || .0 || 2.0
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1996–97
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 3 || 3 || 43.0 || .465 || .000 || .889 || 6.0 || 1.7 || .7 || .7 || 18.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 10 || 10 || 39.1 || .360 || .000 || .800 || 8.3 || 1.4 || .6 || .5 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
| 7 || 0 || 22.4 || .400 || .000 || .636 || 4.4 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Dallas
| 3 || 0 || 3.7 || .000 || .000 || .250 || .0 || .3 || .0 || .0 || .3
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
| 6 || 0 || 14.5 || .526 || .000 || .000 || 2.7 || .7 || .2 || .2 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | Miami
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
| 11 || 0 || 5.5 || .444 || .000 || .692 || .9 || .1 || .0 || .0 || 1.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 40 || 13 || 20.9 || .398 || .000 || .758 || 4.0 || .8 || .4 || .2 || 6.6
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played
External links
- ClutchFans.net Juwan Howard Profile – Houston Rockets Fan Site
- Juwan Howard Official Website
- Juwan Howard NBA career statistics at basketball-reference.com
- Juwan Howard NBA career statistics at databasebasketball.com
- University of Michigan Basketball Statistical Archive
- archives at Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
- archives at Baltimore Sun
- archives at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Profile at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....