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April 17, 2004
Dwight Howard Earns MVP at the 31st Jordan Capital Classic
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison and Kanye West Among Crowd

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP)÷ Dwight Howard certainly looked ready for the NBA on Saturday night. Howard turned in a solid all-around performance with 18 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks to lead the Black team to a 107-96 victory over the White squad in the 31st Jordan Capital Classic on Saturday night.

The 6-foot-11, 235-pound Howard, from Southwest Atlanta Christian, recently declared for the NBA draft and was named the outstanding player in a game for some of the nation's best high school seniors. Howard dominated play throughout his 38 minutes, showing the skills that some feel could make him the top pick in the draft.

"I just wanted to go out and have fun because it was my last high school game," Howard said. "It feels great because I ended on top."

Howard had to field constant speculation all season about whether he'd go to college or declare for the draft. He said he decided to go to the NBA early in the season, but didn't want to say anything. "I didn't want to be a burden to my team," Howard said.

Local star Rudy Gay of Archbishop Spalding finished with 14 points for the White team, but struggled with his shooting. Gay picked Connecticut over Maryland and the local fans booed him when he touched the ball or missed a shot. Gay appeared flustered at times and threw his headband into the crowd after making a dunk. Gay also denied recent reports that he's thinking about the NBA draft.

"It's been brought to me, but I haven't really thought about it seriously," Gay said. "This was an experience. I guess I was getting ready for the future where a lot of people won't like me."

White team coach Stu Vetter said Gay will be just fine. "I just think he's an outstanding player," Vetter said. "I think talent-wise, he's going to be a star."

Malik Hairston led the Black team with 23 points while Robert Vaden added 21. Dorell Wright led the White team with 24 points, while Al Jefferson had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The event drew a crowd of basketball stars, including LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drew a huge ovation when he entered midway through the first half. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, who the Baltimore Ravens tried to acquire in a trade last month, was booed when he was introduced. One fan in the front row yelled to Owens: "Hey, T.O., what about the Ravens?'" Owens, who will play for the Philadelphia Eagles, just smiled and kept walking.

In the regional all-star game, Abdulali Jalloh and Jeff Green both scored a game high 19 points and led the White team to a 121-96 victory over the Red. (ASSOCIATED PRESS, 2004) For more information, please visit the official web site, www.JordanCapitalClassic.com.

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