Dwight Howard makes the game look easy. His numbers this season are jaw-dropping and what's even more astonishing is the fact that he's only 22-years-old. But despite the fame, the success, and the monster contract he inked this summer, Howard doesn't think of himself as the star that his stats portray. He stays especially grounded during the holiday season. HOOPSWORLD talked to Howard about staying true to himself, the importance of friends and family, and how he is celebrating Christmas this year.

How does Dwight Howard, someone who could have whatever he wants in the world, celebrate Christmas?

"I spend time with my family and my friends. I don't really go out and buy everything to celebrate Christmas. Christmas is not about buying gifts, it's about celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christmas is a great time just to be with your family, just to sit around the house. For me it's like the only day I might have off. So it's just fun just to be at home."

You have to live the NBA lifestyle for so much of the year and you've become a celebrity figure in this league. How important is it for you to have time off like the holidays to be a "regular person"?

"It's great. We don't really get time to do things on our own, so when I get a chance to be by myself or be around my friends, we have a lot of fun. We joke around, play around the house. I'm a real big kid so I like to do all that stuff."

How do you balance being a kid on the inside and an adult on the outside?

"Well, I never change for people. Whatever it is, I'm always going to be the same person. I just know when to be serious and when to have fun. I just know when to cross that line."

Does this lifestyle seem real to you?

"It does. I think a lot of people don't realize how tough it is to travel to every city, have to play a game, go back home for a day, go back on the road. They think it's easy. So what I do sometimes is, I let my friends come on a road trip to see how tough it is. They really appreciate what we as athletes do, to go out there and perform every night on the court."

With the dollars getting bigger, your game getting bigger, and the Magic becoming more successful, how are you able to stay so grounded?

"For me, it's not about money. It's not about anything for myself. It's about, for one thing, seeing my team succeed and also my goals for my team -- seeing us in the playoffs, seeing us be a successful team, growing into a great team. I've been here for three-and-a-half years and I want to see our community and our fans, I want to see them better. I want to see our community better. So we've got a long way to go."

Howard may be one of the younger players in the NBA but he carries himself with the maturity of a veteran. And by the time Howard is a veteran, there's no telling how big this big man's game will have become.