June 24, 2004: Dwight Howard became the last No. 1 high‑school pick in NBA history. But it wasn’t just his height or hoops that set him apart. What made people pause was his deep-rooted faith. Howard entered the NBA believing he’d been drafted not just to dunk, but to deliver the Gospel. And yeah, that mission got a little… misunderstood at one point.
Now, Howard’s never been shy about how his belief system shapes him. As he once told ESPN, “I know I haven’t grown up on the streets and I don’t have that bad-guy image like Allen Iverson. My message is different, and I still feel that I can touch a lot of different people.” Since kindergarten, he’s walked the halls of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, where his coach was also a Bible teacher. Even his go-to tune is a gospel song—“Praise is What I Do.” Howard even preaches at the arena gates: when signing autographs, he adds ‘God bless’. Everything, to him, traces back to God.
On the Bryce Crawford Podcast, Howard’s Bible study went sideways—literally. Howard revealed how he once misread a Bible verse. The scripture? Matthew 18:20, which reads, “whenever two or more gather in my name, there I am in the midst.” Sounds straightforward, right? Not to Dwight.
Howard thought the verse was a literal call to action. “When I first heard that, I thought, if I pass gas in church and four people was around, then Jesus was gonna be there because he said, where two or more agree, there I am in the midst,” he said. “So if I pass gas, I thought he was gonna be in the midst of my gas. So I was like, okay, I gotta pass gas in church.”
And it got worse, “So when I did pass gas in church, they had to evacuate the whole church.” According to Howard, there were only two people left standing after the “event.” “Only person who could stay in there was the pastor and me through the grace of God. See, me and him was able to withstand. And Jesus was in the midst.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 03: Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard 39 before the Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers game on April 03, 2022, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire NBA, Basketball Herren, USA APR 03 Nuggets at Lakers Icon2204031080
But don’t worry—Howard made sure to clear the air (pun intended). “It was a little jokey joke about Jesus being in the midst of my gas. I don’t want people going home and saying, ‘Why would Dwight say that about Jesus?’”
But faith was no joke in Howard’s life. Whether misunderstood or not, it carried him from the hardwood in Atlanta to NBA stardom.
How Dwight Howard’s faith got tested but never shaken
At first, it all looked like a dream come true. Straight out of high school, Dwight Howard landed the No. 1 spot in the 2004 NBA Draft. He quickly became a force with the Orlando Magic. But while he was locking down the paint and grabbing rebounds, Howard quietly wrestled with something bigger. As he once admitted, being 20 years old with millions in the bank made it tough to stay grounded. “There’re times where it was very overwhelming,” he said, looking back on those early years.
Still, Howard had a mission. “My mission was to preach God’s Word in the NBA, use the NBA as a platform for God,” he told CBN. But things didn’t go as smoothly as he hoped. In 2007, Howard had a child out of wedlock, and suddenly, fans were questioning his entire identity. “The minute I messed up, the minute I sinned, everybody took a shot at it, ‘you’re supposed to be a Christian,’” he shared.
By 2010, the glamour of NBA nightlife tugged at him: “I’d been so sheltered for so long… [I] was ready to try anything,” he told Sports Illustrated of his clubbing excesses and how “party lifestyle took a toll on my career” until he recognized “what you do off the court will affect what you do on the court”
Even more judgment came in 2012 when injuries slowed him down after his move to the Lakers. “Everybody made me look like the worst guy in the world,” Howard said. And while critics called him washed, Howard reminded them, “Jesus died on the cross for our sins… so if He’s willing to forgive us, why can’t we forgive each other?”
Eventually, things came full circle. In Houston, as his body healed, so did his soul. “We’re just having fun and playing with peace and joy,” he said, crediting God as his “rock” through it all. Today, Howard still speaks openly about wrestling with doubt and distraction—“when I sin, I feel like He hurts…yet He never leaves me”—underscoring a faith connected forever that has carried him from high‑school phenom to NBA Hall of Fame candidate.
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