Jan 24 2009
Race To MVP
Eyes On Dwight Howard Part Two

Howard took another step forward as the franchise player for Orlando in the 2006–07 season, and for the third consecutive season he played in all 82 regular season games. On 1 February 2007, he received his first NBA All-Star selection as a reserve on the Eastern Conference squad for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.[1] Howard finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Less than a week later, he recorded a career-high 32 points against the Toronto Raptors. As the push for playoff spots intensified, Howard was instrumental, recording another career-high 35 points against the Philadelphia Sixers on 14 April 2007. Under his leadership, the Magic qualified for the 2007 NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2003 as the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Magic were swept by the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Detroit Pistons in the first round.[13] Howard averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and finished first in the NBA in total rebounds, second in field goal percentage, and ninth in blocks. He was further recognized as one of the best players in the league when he was named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the 2006–07 campaign.
Howard continued posting impressive numbers in the 2007–08 seasons; with free agent Rashard Lewis added to the ranks to provide an extra offensive spark, this was the Magic's best season yet. Howard's strong and consistent play ensured that he was named as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and by the time the mid-season break arrived, he was leading the league in double doubles (he concluded the season with a league-high 69) and had recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game on five occasions (eight by the season's end). On February 16, 2008, he won the 2008 Slam dunk contest by receiving 78% of the fan's votes via text messaging or online voting; in that contest, he performed a series of innovative dunks said to have rejuvenated the contest, including donning a Superman cape for one of the dunks.[17] Howard led the Magic to their first division title in 12 years and to the third seed for the 2008 NBA Playoffs,[16] and in the first-round match-up against the Toronto Raptors, he was dominant, posting three 20 point/20 rebound games in a series which Orlando prevailed over five games. His series total of 91 rebounds was also greater than the total rebounds collected by the entire Toronto frontcourt. In the next round against the Pistons, the Magic lost the first two road games before Howard's 20 point/12 rebound performance in Game 3 salvaged a home win. In that same week, the center was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time, and subsequently, the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Detroit played without their star point guard Chauncey Billups for Games 4 and 5, but Orlando were unable to capitalize on that and lost the series 4–1 to the veteran playoffs team.
The 2008–09 campaign began well for Howard. Ten games into the season, the center was leading the league in blocks per game (4.2) and even recorded his first triple-double: 30 points, 19 rebounds and 10 blocks

NBA career highlights

Accolades
• NBA All-Star: 2007, 2008
• All-NBA First Team: 2008
• All-NBA Third Team: 2007
• All-NBA Defensive Second Team: 2008
• NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2005
• NBA Slam Dunk Champion: 2008
• Conference Player of the Week: November 26, 2006; November 18, 2007; December 2, 2007
• Conference Player of the Month: April 2006; November 2006; November 2007; December 2007

Milestones
• Youngest player in NBA history to reach
o 3000 rebounds
o 4000 rebounds
• Youngest player in NBA history to average a double-double
• Youngest player in NBA history to record 20 rebounds in one game
• Highest career field goal percentage in All-Star Game history: .810 (17 field goals made of 21 attempts)
• Youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding at 22 years, 130 days (14.2 rebounds average per game throughout 2007–08 season)