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Orlando's Dwight Howard has done his best Superman acts in the last two Slam Dunk contests. Now the Magic hope he can carry them to the NBA title.

Howard may be the biggest star in Orlando, the type of fun-loving figure not seen in this city since O’Neal, and everywhere he goes he’s bombarded with attention.

His array of endorsement deals — with T-Mobile, McDonald’s and Adidas to name a few — keeps him busy filming commercials and attending events. The work he does for his charitable foundation fills up the rest of his free time.

All are part of a lofty aspiration.

“My goal when I came here was to change the face of Orlando. To change the world’s perception, the United States’ perception, of people here,” Howard said. “And not just this franchise. I wanted to come here and really change everything.”

That goal comes with a price.

During a visit to Orlando’s Mall at Millenia for a charity event he recently hosted, Howard ignored the usual star treatment. He walked through the crowded mall’s front entrance without an entourage or even so much as a security guard.

Shoppers stopped in their steps, turning to gawk and take pictures with their cell phones as he walked past dressed in a black T-shirt and dark jeans. An autograph-seeking crowd began to swarm.

Howard could only laugh.

“It can get kind of crazy sometimes,” he said.

He walked into a shoe store to present the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida with a $20,000 check and gave 50 teenagers a $100 gift card to the store. He took a black cap with a red Superman “S” off the rack and wore it out after buying every kid a pair of shoes.

“The best thing about being me is being able to give back. The worst thing is that I’m too giving,” Howard said. “I’d give my last dime for anybody.”

With a chiseled physique and hands seemingly the size of a catcher’s mitt, Howard followed in the footsteps of one his idols — Garnett — in going straight to the NBA from high school in Atlanta. He took No. 12 for his jersey, in part, because it’s the reverse of Garnett’s 21 and allows him to pay homage to the player he looked up to as a kid.

The NBA now requires players to be one-year removed from high school before entering the league, making Howard the last high school player to be drafted with the first pick.

Howard says he would’ve picked North Carolina had he gone to college.

“I think about it all the time, ’What would have happened if I went to college?”’ he said. “If I went to college, I wouldn’t be in Orlando. I wouldn’t be in this situation. It’s worked out. I love the situation I’m in.”

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In a recent installment of his favorite practical joke, Howard and a few friends donned the pig and clown masks from the “Saw” movies and stood up during a showing near the University of Central Florida, giving other attendees more than they bargained for when they bought tickets.

“They’re probably still having nightmares,” Howard joked.

That’s something he’d like to give opposing teams in the playoffs.

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Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters

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