Dwight Howard makes his Dancing with the Stars debut

During the Orlando Magic's run through the 2010 Playoffs during the team's pregame warmups, the entire Orlando Magic team would gather in a circle. They would call out each other and do a quick little dance, whether it was Vince Carter pretending to run the turntables or Anthony Johnson getting down.

This was part of what made that team so beloved among Magic fans. They took cues from their star player, who seemed to keep things light and generally playful while dominating teams on the court.

Dwight Howard was always known—and often criticized—for his playful attitude. He danced around a ton before games before rising up to swat shots 10 rows deep into the stands.

Before the 2009 Playoffs when Howard led the Magic to the NBA Finals, Sports Illustrated famously asked: "Too Much Fun: Can the Magic's dunk machine get serious for a moment?"

That was a criticism that followed Howard everywhere he went, particularly coming from the former player broadcasters. They may have had a point in the end as Howard has clung to basketball dreams.

Still, Howard's dancing has gotten him somewhere. Now that is at least the point of the competition.

Howard made his debut in the first week of Dancing with the Stars and was among the best contestants in the opening week, performing a salsa to Montel Jordan's "This is How We Do It."

The height difference between him and his professional dancing partner, Daniella Karagach, is certainly something. They played it well with Howard literally lifting his diminutive partner to eye level while she went pretty much slack for a moment.

Still, Howard has got some moves. And all that dancing seems to have prepared him for this moment.

All those days dancing in the Magic's huddle have seemingly paid off.

In the first week of the show, which aired live Tuesday, Howard finished second. That should put him in a good position to advance—the first two weeks' scores are combined before the first elimination. He and his partner will have another dance prepared for next Tuesday's episode on ABC.

Athletes have typically done well in the competition. A former professional athlete has won 12 of the 32 seasons, including former NBA guard Iman Shumpert and Florida Gators legend Emmitt Smith. Howard is among four athletes competing in this year's competition.

Considering how big Howard is, he definitely looked pretty lithe and able to move around. They definitely used his height to its advantage in this first effort.

Howard still seems to be hoping for another chance to make the NBA again. But he is signed to play in Taiwan after playing in the Philippines last year. Before his season begins though, he is taking this detour onto American reality competition television.

We will wait to see what Howard has in store for us next week as his journey on Dancing with the Stars continues. Considering the Magic and Howard are on better terms now—Howard made his return to the Kia Center for Game 6 during the Playoffs to cheers— maybe we can count this as a win should Howard take home the title.