By Veronica An
Nineteen-year-old Dwight Howard became the youngest player to score 20 points and make 20 rebounds in a single game in a 2005 Lakers versus Bobcats game. Howard elected to enter the 2004 NBA draft instead of attending college and he was selected first overall for the Orlando Magic. After 2005, the NBA instituted a minimum-age policy of 19 and began encouraging young players to participate in Development Leagues, now called G-Leagues. Howard concluded his rookie season with an impressive 12 point average and was the first NBA player directly out fo high school to play in 82 games. He played in the 2005 All-Rookie Team and continued to improve – averaging 15.8 points in his sophomore season. He went on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers (2012-3), Houston Rockets (2013-6), and Atlanta Hawks (2016-7), Charlotte Hornets (2017-8), and Washington Wizards (2018-9) before returning to the Lakers.