Orlando 'Superman' Howard wins NBA Slam Dunk title

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard used a Superman outfit plus great creativity and leaping skills to win a spectacular National Basketball Association Slam Dunk Contest here on Saturday.

The flamboyant 22-year-old American was a runaway winner with 78 percent of the votes from viewers by internet and text messaging to defeat cupcake-aided 2007 winner Gerald Green of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the finals.

It was the first time a high-tech vote system had been used to crown an NBA slam dunk king, although five former NBA greats such as Julius Erving and Magic Johnson who had judged the first round unanimously saw Howard as the winner.

Howard wore a blue Superman tunic and red cape on a first-round alley-oop dunk after having electrified the crowd by slamming in a left-handed dunk after first bouncing the ball off the rear side of the backboard.

Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985, in Atlanta, Georgia[2]) is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Thunder",[3] Howard, who usually plays center but can play either center or power forward, chose to forgo college and entered the 2004 NBA Draft. He was selected first overall by the Magic, and has since emerged as one of the top rebounders and players in the NBA and been selected to the All-Star game twice. His overall play and his spectacular dunks have gained Howard prominence as one of the brightest young prospects in the NBA and the team leader of the Magic. Off the court, he is a devout Christian who contributes substantially to philanthropic causes. He was the winner of the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest.