Watch Dwight Howard Break Shaq's Vertical Reach Record for Sports Science

Dwight Howard is the one and only Superman, and he went on ESPN's Sports Science to prove it.

The previous record for the highest vertical reach was held by Shaquille O'Neal at an astounding 12'5", but Howard certainly wasn't going to take a backseat to the legendary center.

Despite Howard getting up to slap a sticker on the backboard of the basket during the 2007 NBA dunk contest that was supposed to be 12'6", the size of the sticker made the mark unofficial, according to host John Brenkus.

In order to solve that problem, Howard was hooked up with some tricked out scientific gear strapped to him and got ready to take flight.

The result? Well, the first time Howard went up, he missed the mark just narrowly. However, in typical fashion, he certainly didn't back down, and the second attempt to achieve the mark came with success.

Incredibly, Howard's vertical leap is measured at at astounding 39.5", and that's quite a feat for someone who weighs a whopping 280 lbs.

Brenkus details how Howard exerts an amazing 1,210 lbs of force off of the ground, and generates over 1,500 watts of power in doing so.

For comparative purposes, Brenkus states that if fellow high-flyer Nate Robinson could get off of the ground with the same power as Howard, his vertical leap could be an insane 61".

It's crazy how athletic how Howard is, and I can't wait to see him throw down over the opposition for seasons to come.

He could very well go down as the most physically dominant center to ever play the game.