Orlando signs No. 1 pick Howard

ORLANDO, Fla., July 7 (UPI) -- The Orlando Magic Wednesday signed high school star Dwight Howard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

Terms of the deal, announced by General Manager John Weisbrod, were not disclosed.

Howard was the third player in NBA history to be selected with the first overall pick directly out of high school. The others were Kwame Brown in 2001 and LeBron James last year.

The 6-foot-11 Howard averaged 25 points and 18 rebounds a game as a senior at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in Georgia, leading his team to the state Class A title.

Howard won the 2004 Naismith Award, given to the nation's top high school player.