After playing in the NBA for 18 years, how much money did Howard make? You may not believe it if you say it.

At the 2004 NBA Draft, Howard was selected by the Orlando Magic as the No. 1 pick. Now, his 18-year NBA career is fleeting. Although Howard's resume is not as dazzling as predecessors like O'Neal and Dameng, he still won many honors such as championship, best defensive player, and blocking king, and has also earned a generous salary. So, how much money did Howard make in the NBA? Let’s take a look together below. Howard's NBA journey began in Orlando, with his 4-year rookie contract worth $19.54 million, an average of about $5 million per season. During the rookie contract period, Howard's data has steadily improved every season. In the 2007-08 season, he averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks per game, and was selected for the first time in the All-Squad First Team and the All-Defensive Second Team, officially entering the ranks of the league's top center. In the summer of 2008, the Magic signed a five-year contract with Howard for a total of $85 million. Howard lived up to this big contract. In the next few seasons, he won the honors of Best Defensive Player, Best Rebounder, Best Block King, Best Team One Team and Best Defensive Team One Team. In 2009, Howard led the Magic to the Finals, and although he eventually lost to Kobe's Lakers, he was recognized as the league's No. 1 center.

In 2012, Howard was traded to the Lakers due to a conflict with the Magic management and became teammates with Kobe. However, due to various factors, he switched to the Rockets and formed a "modern combination" with Harden. In the summer of 2013, Howard signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Rockets, with the last year being the player option. However, during those years in Houston, the differences in personality between Howard and Harden made the cooperation unpleasant, and although they could make the playoffs every season, they never made a breakthrough. In the summer of 2016, Howard chose to return to his hometown of Atlanta and signed a three-year contract with the Hawks with a total value of $70.5 million. At this time, the league has entered the era of small ball, and traditional centers like Howard are no longer popular. In addition, his athletic ability gradually declines. Howard started his wandering career, and then moved to many teams such as the Hornets, Wizards, Lakers and 76ers.

When in the Wizards, Howard signed a 2-year, $11 million middle-class contract, but after that, he received mostly a veteran base salary contract worth about $2 million. Fortunately, Howard returned to the Lakers in 2020 to assist James and Davis, and eventually won the championship, achieving a successful career.

Looking back on Howard's career, he earned a total of about $247 million in salary. Although this number is not an exaggeration in the era of current 100 million contracts, it is definitely at the top level among the players who entered the league at the same time as him.