# Josh Howard
**Josh Howard** (Joshua Jay Howard, born 1980) is an American former professional basketball player, a 6-foot-7 small forward who played 10 NBA seasons, most of them with the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dallas-mavericks), who drafted him 29th overall in 2003.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) A consensus first-team All-American at Wake Forest in 2003, he became a starter and one-time All-Star for Mavericks teams that reached the 2006 [NBA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/nba-finals) and won 67 games in 2006-07.[2](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2015/4/30/_wake_m_baskbl__1011-mbk-mg-sec10.pdf) • [3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/2007.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; 6 ft 7 in (201 cm), 210 lb (95 kg)[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) |
| Draft | Dallas Mavericks, first round, 29th overall, 2003 NBA Draft; NBA debut October 28, 2003[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) |
| College | Wake Forest, 1999-2003; consensus first-team All-American (2003)[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) • [2](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2015/4/30/_wake_m_baskbl__1011-mbk-mg-sec10.pdf) |
| Career totals | 507 games, 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game; 44.8% field goals, 77.0% free throws[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) |
| Honors | One-time NBA All-Star (2007); NBA All-Rookie team, 2003-04[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) |
| Peak season | 2006-07: 70 games, 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 35.1 minutes per game[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/2007.html) |
| Career span | 10 seasons, 4 teams, including the Mavericks and Wizards; last played in 2013[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) • [4](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/josh-howard-1686/bio) |
## Early life and high school
Howard grew up in [Winston-Salem, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/winston-salem-north-carolina), and played high school basketball at nearby Glenn High School in Kernersville under coach Napoleon Cloud.[5](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2018/7/30/22776__m_baskbl__bios.pdf) As a Glenn senior he was a first-team all-state selection, averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game while shooting 70 percent from the floor, and he twice won the "Frank Spencer Award" as the top player in Northwest North Carolina.[5](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2018/7/30/22776__m_baskbl__bios.pdf)
He then spent a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, under coach Scott Shepherd, averaging 19.9 points and 10.1 rebounds and leading the school to a 27-3 record while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 6.0 assists per contest.[5](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2018/7/30/22776__m_baskbl__bios.pdf)
## College career at Wake Forest
Howard played four seasons at Wake Forest from 1999-2000 through 2002-03, appearing in 96 games with 88 starts and finishing with 1,159 points, 579 rebounds, 151 steals, and 95 blocked shots.[5](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2018/7/30/22776__m_baskbl__bios.pdf) He was second-team All-ACC as a sophomore in 2001, third-team All-ACC in 2002, and in his senior season of 2002-03 he was a consensus first-team All-American.[5](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2018/7/30/22776__m_baskbl__bios.pdf) • [2](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2015/4/30/_wake_m_baskbl__1011-mbk-mg-sec10.pdf) Wake Forest's media guide describes him as one of the most athletic and versatile players in the school's history.[2](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2015/4/30/_wake_m_baskbl__1011-mbk-mg-sec10.pdf)
When the Mavericks selected him with the 29th pick on June 26, 2003, he became the first Wake Forest player chosen in the first round since [Tim Duncan](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-duncan) went first overall in 1997, and the 10th Demon Deacon first-rounder ever, joining Duncan, Muggsy Bogues, Len Chappell, Randolph Childress, Kenny Green, Rod Griffin, Dickie Hemric, Frank Johnson, and Rodney Rogers.[6](https://godeacs.com/news/2003/6/26/Josh_Howard_Goes_In_NBA_s_First_Round) Howard said at the time that he had not worked out for or had contact with Dallas before the draft.[6](https://godeacs.com/news/2003/6/26/Josh_Howard_Goes_In_NBA_s_First_Round)
## NBA career
Howard spent his first seven seasons with Dallas, becoming a starter for the Mavericks in 2004-05.[2](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2015/4/30/_wake_m_baskbl__1011-mbk-mg-sec10.pdf) He was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 2003-04 and made his only All-Star team in 2007.[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html) His best season was 2006-07, when he averaged 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 35.1 minutes over 70 games, shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 82.7 percent from the free throw line.[3](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/2007.html) That Dallas team won 67 games, the franchise's best record ever, but lost its first-round playoff series to the eighth-seeded [Golden State Warriors](https://www.edgepedia.org/golden-state-warriors) in six games.[7](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf)
He later played for the [Washington Wizards](https://www.edgepedia.org/washington-wizards) among the four teams of his 10-season career.[4](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/josh-howard-1686/bio) His final NBA appearance came in 2013; on October 25 of that year he signed an unguaranteed one-year minimum salary contract with the [San Antonio Spurs](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-antonio-spurs).[8](https://www.shamsports.com/players/josh-howard) • [1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html)
## The 2006 Finals
Howard was a central figure in Dallas' run to the 2006 NBA Finals, the franchise's first. In the closeout Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against Phoenix, he scored 20 points with 15 rebounds in the 102-93 win that sent Dallas to the championship series.[9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2006/06/04/mavericks-crash-the-finals-span-classbankheadbig-second-half-propels-dallas-into-matchup-with-miami-mavericks-102-suns-93-span/7242bba8-7433-443c-b93e-1955723cdc3c/?isMobile=1)
[The Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-finals) against Miami produced the moment he is most remembered for. In Game 5, with Dallas trailing 101-100 in overtime and 1.9 seconds left, [Dwyane Wade](https://www.edgepedia.org/dwyane-wade) was shooting free throws when Howard called the Mavericks' final timeout between attempts, costing Dallas the chance to inbound at half court; the team instead had to advance the ball the length of the floor and got only a desperate half-court heave from [Devin Harris](https://www.edgepedia.org/devin-harris).[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-19-sp-heisler19-story.html) Miami won the game in overtime and took the series in six.[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-19-sp-heisler19-story.html) Howard had also struggled in Game 4, going 1 for 8 from the field in a 98-74 loss.[11](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2006/06/16/the-mysterious-case-of-disappearing-dirk-span-classbankheadnowitzki-continues-to-struggle-in-finalsspan/3ec1bd1c-ef5b-4b7f-829e-fb39d1316f49/)
## References
1. [Josh Howard Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howarjo01.html)
2. [Wake Forest Men's Basketball Media Guide, section 10 (2015), Wake Forest University Athletics](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2015/4/30/_wake_m_baskbl__1011-mbk-mg-sec10.pdf)
3. [2006-07 Dallas Mavericks Roster and Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DAL/2007.html)
4. [Josh Howard Bio, StatMuse](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/player/josh-howard-1686/bio)
5. [Josh Howard Player Bios, Wake Forest University Athletics (2002-03 media guide)](https://godeacs.com/documents/download/2018/7/30/22776__m_baskbl__bios.pdf)
6. [Josh Howard Goes In NBA's First Round, Wake Forest University Athletics (June 26, 2003)](https://godeacs.com/news/2003/6/26/Josh_Howard_Goes_In_NBA_s_First_Round)
7. [2024-25 Dallas Mavericks Media Guide, NBA.com](https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612742/2025/09/2024-25-Dallas-Mavericks-Media-Guide-2_compressed.pdf)
8. [Josh Howard, ShamSports](https://www.shamsports.com/players/josh-howard)
9. [Mavericks Crash the Finals, The Washington Post (June 4, 2006)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2006/06/04/mavericks-crash-the-finals-span-classbankheadbig-second-half-propels-dallas-into-matchup-with-miami-mavericks-102-suns-93-span/7242bba8-7433-443c-b93e-1955723cdc3c/?isMobile=1)
10. [Dallas Packs Up Bad Memories of This Trip, Los Angeles Times (June 19, 2006)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-jun-19-sp-heisler19-story.html)
11. [The Mysterious Case Of Disappearing Dirk, The Washington Post (June 16, 2006)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2006/06/16/the-mysterious-case-of-disappearing-dirk-span-classbankheadnowitzki-continues-to-struggle-in-finalsspan/3ec1bd1c-ef5b-4b7f-829e-fb39d1316f49/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 1996–2010 › NBA forwards, 1996–2010*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license