basketball player
Personal Information
Born Juwan Antonio Howard, February 7, 1973, in Chicago, IL; son of Leroy Watson, Jr., and Helena Howard.
Education: University of Michigan, B.A., communications, 1995.
Career
Professional basketball player, 1994--. Selected fifth overall by Washington Bullets in 1994 NBA Entry Draft.
Life's Work
When Juwan Howard entered the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1994, he might have been considered the George Harrison of basketball. He had been an instrumental member of the University of Michigan's "Fab Five" basketball lineup that competed in college basketball's championship game two years in a row, but until the closing weeks of his college career the two more visible members of the team--Chris Webber and Jalen Rose--usually overshadowed him. As a result Howard's value remained unrecognized late into his junior year. The Washington Bullets must have looked closely, however, because they selected him fifth overall in the 1994 NBA draft. Sure enough, Howard did not disappoint, and early in his pro career he was singled out as one of the league's better young players, as well as one of its finer citizens.
Juwan Howard was born February 7, 1973, in Chicago. His mother, Helena, was only 17 when she gave birth, and his father, Leroy Watson, Jr., was fresh out of the U.S. Army. Neither of them was prepared, emotionally or financially, to raise a child. They did not have money to buy a crib when Juwan came home from the hospital, so at the suggestion of Helena's mother, Jannie Mae, they put a pillow and a blanket in a dresser drawer--Juwan's crib the first week of his life. Leroy left before long, and Helena could not raise a child by herself, so Jannie Mae wound up with the responsibility of raising Juwan in addition to two of his cousins. Throughout his childhood, Jannie Mae was the most important person in Howard's life. Just so that she would not be disappointed in him, he stayed away from the gangs in Chicago, came home every night before dark, and graduated from Chicago Vocational High.
Because he stayed in school, Howard had the opportunity to play organized basketball while getting an education. He made the most of it. Naturally, growing up in the projects on the south side of Chicago made life difficult. Howard rode the El--the elevated train--to school, had to practice in an unheated gym, and changed clothes for home games in a classroom. By the end of his senior year, though, college recruiters rated him as the country's best high school center, and he earned Illinois's High School Player of the Year honors.
November 14, 1991 could have been one of the greatest days in Howard's life; instead it was one of the most tragic. On that day he held a press conference at Vocational High to inform the sports world that, of all the schools recruiting him, he had chosen to attend the University of Michigan and play for the Wolverines basketball team. The day took a cruel turn, however. When Howard rushed home, he was told that Jannie Mae had suffered a life-ending heart attack. He proclaimed in a Sports Illustrated article that he still talks to Jannie Mae, "All the time in my mind," and visits her grave every Christmas. "See, Christmas is my grandmother's birthday. I always tell her how my season's going." In addition to his daily tributes, during his junior year at Michigan, he did something permanent to commemorate his love for his grandmother: he had her name tattooed over his heart.
Howard's career at Michigan took an unusual turn during his freshman season. Michigan had a fine crop of five freshman recruits that year-- Howard, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. By December, four of them started, and by midway through the conference season all five comprised Michigan's starting lineup. By the time the Wolverines received their invitation to the NCAA postseason tournament, sportswriters already had dubbed them "The Fab Five"-- alluding to the Beatles, who were referred to as the "Fab Four" in their heyday. As Michigan won its first five games and reached the championship game, the media and public attention grew until the quintet were America's newest folk heroes. The bubble burst when Duke beat Michigan handily in the National Championship game, but the Fab Five remained unquestionably a stunning success. On an individual level, Howard performed well enough to garner Honorable Mention All- Big Ten honors.
The Fab Five received considerable attention from the beginning of their sophomore season, but the end result was quite similar. After finishing second for the Wolverines in rebounding and third in scoring, Howard received still more recognition--Second Team All-Big Ten and Honorable Mention All-America nominations. Again the team reached the NCAA Championship Game, but again it lost, although this time the game was closer. North Carolina won the title in the final seconds when Webber called a time-out the Wolverines did not have.
Webber left school for the NBA before Howard's junior season, leaving Howard and Jalen Rose as team leaders. Howard's stature with the team and in the eyes of the public grew during that season, as many observers began to feel that perhaps his role with the team had been overlooked while the flashier Webber shared the frontcourt with him. Howard led Michigan in scoring and rebounding that season, and was named First Team All-Big Ten and Third Team All-America. Michigan did not reach the Final Four that year, but when Howard left the team following the season, his stock had definitely risen to make him one of the top college prospects in the country.
The Washington Bullets used the fifth selection in the 1994 NBA Entry Draft to select Howard. The Bullets made no secret that they were not convinced of Howard's talent. Howard disliked the fact that they valued him less than he felt he deserved as the fifth choice overall. Consequently, the contract negotiations that preceded his joining the team became bitter at times. Howard felt so disappointed about the Bullets' assessment of his abilities that he broke down in tears during a negotiating session at Bullets owner Abe Pollin's house. Eventually the parties came to terms on an 11-year, $36.6 million contract, however, and Howard began his professional career. More good news followed: the Bullets had received his former college teammate Chris Webber in a trade with the Golden State Warriors.
Howard's rookie year for the Bullets removed any doubts they had about his potential. He started more than half the team's games, finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding, scored in double figures in 46 straight games, and played in the Rookie All-Star Game at mid- season. The Bullets did not make the playoffs that year, but they played better with Howard in the lineup: all ten games that Howard missed due to an ankle sprain resulted in Washington defeats.
That season Howard gained a unique distinction off the floor when he became the first NBA player to leave college early and still get his degree in four years. This accomplishment set him apart from the typical NBA rookie. He had to write term papers on road trips and take tests via computer, but he received his B.A.--in communications-- another promise he kept to his grandmother, Jannie Mae. "You have to give up things," Howard was quoted as saying in Jet magazine. "In the NBA you have a lot of practices, a lot of games and a lot of travel, but you usually have most of the days to do whatever you want."
Howard's growth as a player continued in his second season with the Bullets. He started every game except one and ranked tenth in the league in scoring. He was named to the third team All-NBA, came off the bench for the Eastern Conference team in the All-Star Game, and won the league's Player of the Week award once. The Bullets failed to make the playoffs once again, however.
Howard's reputation as a leader and a fine individual grew along with his game that season. Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich stated in Sports Illustrated, "He's one of the best young players I've seen." Detroit Pistons coach Doug Collins asserted in the same magazine, "Howard reminds me of Kevin McHale. He's a thinking man's post player." Also, at a time when the league's young players were being categorized as either selfish, egotistical troublemakers or good guys, Howard's name always made the latter list. "I don't want to be one of those young guys who take the money and don't care about anything else," he told Sports Illustrated. "It bugs me when you read the paper and some of the NBA veterans are saying, 'These young guys, they're messing up the league.' Well, I'm one of those young guys. And I don't only care about the money. I love the game of basketball."
Howard's third professional season started out a bit rockier than the first two. He was caught in the middle of a bidding war between the Miami Heat and the Bullets. The Heat seemed to win at first, but the NBA decided that the contract they promised Howard exceeded the league's salary cap rules. He finally re-signed with the Bullets instead. In addition to minor allegations of being greedy and manipulative, early in the season Howard suffered another chink in the armor of his good-guy reputation when he was arrested amid much publicity for drunk driving. Also, as the Bullets continued to struggle in the standings, Howard began hearing the adjective "overrated" attached to his name for the first time.
Howard would come through the rough period with his determination intact, however. The Bullets made the playoffs, and, despite losing to the defending NBA Champion Chicago Bulls in three straight games, Howard and his teammates earned some respect by threatening to steal game two in Chicago and by maintaining minimal margins of defeat. "This is my dream," he had told Sports Illustrated the previous year. "My livelihood. And I take it very seriously. I want to be the best. I want my team to win. I want to be a true role model for kids." He summed up his competitive attitude in the same article by saying, "I know this: I'm not going to be satisfied until I get a ring."
Awards
High School Player of the Year for state of Illinois, 1991; Associated Press Third Team College All-America, 1994; played in Rookie All-Star Game, 1995; chosen as a reserve player for NBA All-Star Game, 1996; third-team All-NBA, 1996.
Further Reading
Sources
- Jet, May 22, 1995, p. 46.
- Sport, February 1996, p. 64.
- Sports Illustrated, February 26, 1996, p. 60.
- Additional information for this profile was obtained from the Washington Bullets 1996-97 Media Guide.
— Mike Eggert
