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'We Connected Forever': NBA's Dwight Howard on Sin, Redemption and God's Unfailing Love

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Dwight Howard talks with CBN's Shawn Brown about being a Christian in the NBA.

When Dwight Howard entered the NBA as a young teen, his biggest goal was to glorify Christ. 

Howard grew up in a Christian home and boldly professed his faith to his fellow players when he was first drafted by the Orlando Magic in 20014 as the NBA's No. 1 pick.

However, his faith was quickly tested by the lavish lifestyle the professional sports and entertainment industry brought. 

"I'd been so sheltered for so long, once I got out of my house, I was ready to try anything," Howard told Sports Illustrated. "It's like, 'I've heard so much about these clubs, these strip clubs, let's try 'em out. Let's party like these older guys.'"

Howard's party lifestyle quickly spiraled out of control. 

"You're young, you're on TV, and all these beautiful women are coming up to you. There's no comparison, but at the time, I felt like a kid who has never had candy in his whole life and suddenly is given all the candy he could ever want. If you're still just a kid—which is what I was—you're like, 'Give me more.' It became an issue."

After fathering five different children from five different women, Howard could hardly bear the weight of his shame. 

"I was ashamed because I'd talked so much about being a Christian, professed my faith to the whole world, and here I was with a baby out of wedlock," Howard says. "My parents judged me. A lot of people judged me. I felt like I shouldn't even be out in public because everyone looked at me as a hypocrite." 

Eventually, his sinful lifestyle took a toll on his career. 

"One thing I've learned is that eventually, what you do off the court will affect what you do on the court," Howard said.

He went from having more endorsement deals than LeBron James and being one of the most highly sought after players to barely having any endorsements. 

"In a lot of ways," he says, "I feel like I never recovered."

Finally, Howard sought the mentorship of Calvin Simmons, a pastor who has ministered to hundreds of professional athletes. 

"When Dwight first got to Orlando, he was looking at teammates who were 28, with a wife and two kids, going off to dinner. That's what he desired, an authentic relationship with a real girlfriend. But when you're raised in the faith and you fall into something, there can be a tendency to feel like you're not worthy of coming out of it. You can go into a dark hole and stay there. He got to a point where he thought, 'I like sex and I don't believe the heart really exists, because that's not what anybody is reaching for.' So he went through this process where he enjoyed something detrimental to him. Some of our best conversations were about why you put yourself in a position to be devalued." 

Howard hasn't risen to the height of his previous success in the NBA, but right now, he says he's just praying for "confidence and peace."

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