NBA: Is Dwight "Superman" Howard back?

Does anyone else remember the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest champion Dwight “Superman” Howard? What about when Howard was the first NBA player to win three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards?

What happened to Howard over the past few years? He hasn’t really performed as well in recent years as he did on the Orlando Magic, but we are starting to see glimpses of Superman back in action.

The Atlanta, Georgia native went straight from high school into the draft after an impressive resume from high school, recording 16.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.3 blocks per game. He was known to be quick enough to play the guard position, but he chose to be a power forward because of his immense strength and ability to attack the basket.

Howard was named Gatorade National Player of the Year, McDonald’s National High School Player of the Year, and was co-MVP with J.R. Smith of the McDonald’s High School All-American Game. This led to him being selected with the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

Dwight Howard's stint with the Magic

Some of Howard’s best years came when he played for the Magic. He was named Defensive Player of the Year for three consecutive years in the 2008-09 season when he averaged 20.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, the 2009-2010 season when he averaged 20.6 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, and the 2010-2011 season when he averaged 18.3 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.

Howard has also been selected to eight All-Star games and named to eight All-NBA teams, of which five were selections to the All-NBA First Team. He also won the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest, where we earned the nickname "Superman" for his high-flying dunks and superior showmanship.

At this time, Howard was considered strongest man in the NBA and second strongest to only Shaquille O’Neal in the sport's history. His inspiration came from fellow big man Kevin Garnett, who inspired him tower the number 12, thus giving him the nickname "D12".

Howard spent a majority eight years in the league playing for the Orlando Magic before getting passed around the league. This was due to many bad rumors, trade requests, and the fact that he was going to undergo surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, which would take him out for the rest of the 2011-12 season.

Howard heads west

Howard was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2012 offseason to join the “Superteam” of Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Pau Gasol. We all know the story of how disappointing this team was when they got swept in the first round of the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs.

This was due to several injuries on the team, but it was still very disappointing to the fans, who were sure they were going to win it all that season.. To be fair, the Spurs did go on to make it to the NBA Finals and lost to the "Superteam" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. This was due to several injuries on the team, but it was still very disappointing to the fans, who were sure they were going to win it all that season.

After his lone season with the Lakers, Howard just didn’t seem the same, as he was passed around to the Houston Rockets, the Atlanta Hawks, and most recently the Charlotte Hornets. He just didn’t seem as athletic, as he barely dunked and wasn’t as physical in the paint.

Superman Howard returns?

To be honest, I didn’t think Howard would return back to his Magic days, but there have been instances of Superman returning this season with the Hornets. For instance, when the Hornets went against the Timberwolves a few weeks ago, he recorded a monster double-double performance of 25 points and 20 rebounds.

Howard has recorded 12 double-doubles this season with his point and rebound totals and has shown glimpses of the old D12. He looks a lot more confident on the floor, attacking the basket and showing his dominance in the paint. He has even been dunking like his former self.

Even though I don't think Howard will win another Defensive Player of the Year award, it’s nice to see him return back to those times. I’m excited to see more high-flying dunks and dominant paint presence from him in the near future.