Author: Monojit Mandal
Juwan Howard, a two-time NBA champion and current coach of the Michigan Wolverines, recently underwent a successful heart operation, according to Michigan Men’s Basketball. The surgery was performed at the Health Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan.
Howard’s 19-year NBA career began when he was selected by the Washington Bullets as the fifth pick in the 1994 NBA draft. He played for several teams, including the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Bobcats.
Throughout his career, Howard maintained averages of 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 46.9% from the floor in 1,208 regular season games.
In 49 NBA postseason games, his presence was felt, with the highlight of his career being the NBA championship wins in 2012 and 2013, while he was with the Miami Heat.
Upon retiring from professional basketball, Howard made the transition to coaching, spending six seasons as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat.
In 2019-20, he took over as coach of the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team. Michigan has thrived under his watch, with a 79-48 record in 127 games and reaching the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons. In the last one, the team finished with 18 wins and 16 losses, but lost in the NIT to Vanderbilt.
Notably, Howard’s son, Jett Howard, made headlines when he was chosen as the 11th pick in the 2023 NBA draft, after just one season with the Wolverines.
Howard is expected to fully recover from his recent heart treatment in 6 to 12 weeks, with the option of returning to coaching responsibilities in 4 to 6 weeks, reinforcing his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines and the sport he loves.