All-NBA Teams 2012: Dwight Howard Earns First-Team Honor ahead of Andrew Bynum, Tyson Chandler

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard earned his fifth consecutive selection to the All-NBA First Team, the NBA announced Thursday. Howard received 75 First-Team votes and 476 voting points, which totals were more than enough to hold off Second-Team center Andrew Bynum (33 first-place votes, 400 points) and Third-Team center Tyson Chandler (four first-team votes, 60 points). Howard joins Miami Heat forward and league MVP LeBron James, Oklahoma City Thunder forward and scoring champion Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul on the First Team.

Howard averaged 20.6 points per game, a league-leading 14.5 rebounds per game, a career-best 1.5 steals per game, and 2.1 blocks per game in 54 appearances. He missed 12 games, as well as the entire postseason, due to a herniated disk in his lower back. Orlando went 33-21 with him in the lineup, but finished the regular season 4-8 with him sidelined, and lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, 4-1.

Howard was the only Magic player to receive any All-NBA votes.

We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.