5 Greatest NBA players that came directly from High School

#5 Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard

Career Averages: 17.5 Points, 12.7 Rebounds, 2.0 Blocks

Honors: 8x All-Star, 8x All NBA selections, 3x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x NBA All-Defensive selections

Dwight Howard was a physical specimen unlike any other out of high school, when he was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 2004. A walking double-double throughout his career, Howard has never averaged less than 10 Points and 10 Rebounds per game in any season of his career. He was the premier big man in the NBA for a 5-year stretch from 2007-2012, during which he won his 3 DPOY awards and led the league in rebounding 4 times.

Howard led the Magic to their first NBA Finals in 14 years in 2009 for a showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. Down 2-1, with the series delicately poised, they lost game 4 in OT as Howard missed two late free throws with the Magic up 87-84. The Lakers would easily win game 5 to seal the title. The Magic would lose in the Conference Finals the next year and in the 1st round the following two years.

He would then demand a trade and it's been all downhill since. Howard was traded to the Lakers in 2012 and it didn't work out between him and Bryant. After unsuccessful stints in Houston and Atlanta, he's now in Charlotte and it seems like he's finally getting back on track.