IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT PERSERVERANCE IS, look no further than Josh Howard.

It isn't just being a human highlight reel, as likely to rain a three-pointer on you as he is to stuff your shot, strip the ball, or bury you with a rim-rocking jam.

For most of his 27 years, Josh Howard has been battling -- against the awkwardness of youth, when he struggled on a basketball court; against naysayers who said he could never play college basketball; against the 28 people who passed over him in the 2003 NBA Draft.

And at every turn, with his family behind him, Josh has risen to the challenge -- far surpassing any imagined expectations, outworking his opponents, bringing a rarely found fire to the game of basketball, and looking to improve so that he can be the best person and player he can be. 

Growing up in the Morningside neighborhood of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was not an easy life, but Josh and his younger brother, Steven, were taken care of. They were raised by their mother, Nancy, a nursing assistant, in a small two-bedroom apartment. 

“We had to take the bus, stay in apartment housing,” he said. “Me and my brother shared one room. My mom was in the other room. Just living. We ate every day. We didn’t miss [any] meals. Nothing like that.” 

Outside his immediate family, Josh had two loves in his childhood. The first, and to this day, his most important, was his grandmother, Helen Howard, whose address he has tattooed on a shoulder. 

“You know how you just have special bonds with different people?” Josh explained. “I bonded with my grandmother.” 

She lived just minutes away, but for Josh, grandma’s house was a haven. 

“She would come and get me every weekend,” he said. “That’s the time we spent going to grandma’s house, getting away from, you know, the normal stuff of life… She always surrounded us with love.”

Josh’s other love was basketball. He was far from a natural; in fact, he felt more comfortable playing baseball and football. But as often as he could, Josh was at the playground, learning the game.

“When I was younger, I didn’t have my coordination – that was an awkward time of my life,” he said. “I was skinny, lanky, very awkward. But I stuck with it, and was able to pull through with a lot of guys picking on me and stuff. I was able to keep fighting.”

By his senior year in high school, Josh was a raw but electric talent, headed toward the college ranks. 

Josh attended nearby Wake Forest University. Early on, it was a difficult adjustment. As Jack McCallum wrote in Sports Illustrated: 

"At Wake Forest he feuded with coaches Dave Odom and Skip Prosser, and on a few occasions thought about quitting, 'just going back to the other side of town, where I was from.' And what would he have done? 'Try to stay out of trouble, work, go to community college, play pickup ball, lots of things,' he says." 

Yet Josh never did quit. Instead, he worked hard on every aspect of his game, including his emotions, and by his senior year, Josh was dominating the ACC in a way that few players ever had, a fearsome competitor and driven team leader.

Prosser recalled a victory over N.C. State that season, which gave the Demon Deacons the ACC regular-season championship. They were trailing by eight at the half. 

''I had to get into the locker room before Josh killed someone,'' Prosser told the Miami Herald. “I think they were more afraid of Josh than State. Josh was crucial in leading us. He had great courage.'' 

Despite a second-round loss to Auburn in the NCAA tournament, 2002-2003 was a breakthrough season for Josh. He was named to the AP First Team All-America, the Wooden All-America Team, and became the first unanimous ACC MVP since North Carolina State's David Thompson in 1975. 

Given the way his senior year ended, expectations were sky high for Josh heading into the NBA draft. He worked out with several teams, and was projected to be a sure-fire, middle of the first round pick. 

On draft day, Josh, his family, coach Prosser, and friends assembled at his mother’s house. They turned on the television, watching, and waited. 

After Dahtay Jones of Duke – another ACC player – was chosen with the 20^th pick, Josh couldn’t watch any longer. 

“It was really strange,” he said. “I was outside with my homeboys, wondering what happened.” 

Then came the last pick of the draft. 

“With the 29th and final pick of the first round of the 2003 draft,” announced David Stern, “the Dallas Mavericks select Josh Howard of Wake Forest.” 

“There was an explosion of emotion,” said Prosser. Not long after, he remembered spotting Josh back inside the house. “Literally, tears were rolling down his face,” he said. 

“It was a relief,” said Josh. “Being able to take care of my family and to live out one of my dreams, playing professional sports. Not too many people can do that. It’s a blessing. I’m thankful. I thank God that I’m in a position to be able to do this.” 

While the experience of the draft was disappointing, Josh was thrilled to be heading to Dallas. He came off the bench for most of his first season, soaking in knowledge from more experienced teammates like Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. 

By his second year in the league, Josh was a starter, continuing, as he has throughout his career, to improve mentally and physically. During the 2005-2006 season, the Mavericks were 24-0 when Josh scored 20 points or more. He was an integral part of why Dallas reached its first NBA Finals a year ago. 

"Josh has been incredible for us," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson told the Washington Post. "He has matured so much. He stays after practice, without me telling him. He really works on his game. You can see he's reaping what he's sowing." 

The 2006-2007 season was one of great team and personal achievement for Josh. It began in the offseason, when he rebuilt a basketball court in his native Winston-Salem, and just got better. 

For the first time in his career, he was named to the NBA All-Star Team. 

“It is an honor to be selected,” Josh said at the time. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. It is especially gratifying to play along side my teammate Dirk Nowitzki.” 

More significantly, the Mavericks marched to an NBA best 65-17 mark during the regular season. Though they were eliminated in the playoffs by a red-hot Golden State Warriors team, Josh remains optimistic about the prospect of bringing the franchise its first championship, and intent on doing whatever is necessary to make that happen.