It’s no mystery that Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard aren’t the best of friends. It’s also a known fact that Shaq is the one who has tried to clown Howard over the years, diminish his legacy and is unwilling to let go of the past, when Howard stole one of Shaq’s monikers, “Superman” enroute to winning the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk contest.
Howard has tried to reach out and reconcile the situation in the past, but Shaq hasn’t reciprocated the desire, often reminding Howard of how insignificant he really is in Shaq’s world.
Back in November, Howard who was riding high off his “Dancing With The Stars” appearance offered to bury the hatchet with Shaq with a celebrity boxing match.
Shaq scoffed at the idea and threw further insults at Howard via X.
Shaq Still Mad Dwight Howard Took Superman Moniker In 2008?
Howard, who recently got engaged to rapper Amy Luciani, received plenty of backlash and was the brunt of jokes from some people still questioning his sexuality and the validity of engagement. But it seems that Howard remains most fed up with Shaq, to the point that he says he’s willing to meet up and have a real fight to settle this man to man, because in Howard’s opinion it’s gone too far.
RELATED: Shaq And Dwight Howard Resume Their War Of Words
The Orlando Magic’s all-time leader in points, rebounds per game, free throws and plenty of other categories appeared on The Gaud Show podcast to speak his peace.
“And that was the thing I hated the most was the fact that he always thought I was trying to be him or be like him,” Howard said.
Superman, of course, was one of Shaq’s many nicknames, until Howard stole it during his peak years with the Orlando Magic … and kept using it. Fans and analysts started calling him that and Shaq was never able to let it go. He’s been diminishing Howard, who never won a championship
Then, of course, Howard complained that his jersey should have been retired before Shaq’s by Orlando, because he had a bigger impact on the franchise and played there longer.
“Then again,” said Howard, “if I wanted to be you or be like you, shouldn’t you take that as a compliment and to show how great you are as a player and person?”
“I never wanted to be Shaq on any level. Now did I want to take certain things from his life and implement it in my life?… Hell, yeah, I do that with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James – because they have certain things that I can use to be better.”
Howard continued: “Magic Johnson’s smile has gotten him all this stuff so let me smile. Shaq is 7-2, 7-3 a big o’ … that’s him. … I never disrespected him, but he always got something to say.”
Howard says he tried to reach out to speak with Shaq several times. During “DWTS” somebody he worked with said they were really close with Shaq and maybe he could mediate a pow-wow. The situation never materialized.
Shaq and Dwight Howard Go Blow-For-Blow On X
In a recent interaction, Shaq and Howard got heated on X again on Dec. 7, with Shaq posting directly to Dwight Howard on X:
”@DwightHoward the fact u think I care about u is funny, but I won’t ever bring your name up again sensitive big man, a jokester that can’t take a joke. We won’t ever say your name ever again. Have a great day and now you have been deleted. Have a great day. #nevercared #trustme”
Howard responded: “I know you care. Cuz yo insecure ass been hating and talking sh*t for 20 years. You too big to be this insecure. I hope you don’t bring my name up again. 52 years old tweeting at me. And still hating. Now all this time you was joking. You always been jealous. Jealous of Kobe., penny, dwade. You jealous of Charles too. Go move around big lazy insecure ass. I still have that long 5 paragraph direct message you sent me a couple years ago telling me that I’m not that great to hate. And you still doing it. It’s 2025 grow the hell up, and move on”
Howard says he’s ready to throw hands for real at this point.
“Every conversation and every time I hear or see something about you it’s you disrespecting me on some kind of level. … ’Cause at this point it’s like, do we need to throw hands?” Howard asked Shaq via the podcast.
“What can I mimic him about?” Howard continued. “He’s the greatest center ever.”
“Again…he keeps saying stuff about me. So it’s like ‘yo, bro, do we need to get in there and squabble?’”
The host tried to hype the situation, offering to go with Howard to confront Shaq.
“I’m finna roll up to the studio or wherever he is and say, ‘Hey, yo, bro, what’s the deal?” Howard threatened. “It’s not a fearful thing or anything, we past basketball, you’re not in the NBA, you did your time, and I did my time and we still going along with pettiness, and at what point does it stop?”
”If we got to fight it out then let’s fight it out,” he added.
The show’s host went on to remind Howard that Shaq is considered “a real leader out here.”
To which, Howard responded that he wasn’t acting like one in this situation. Howard suggests that they could do great things together.
“There’s so many people that we can bring together but yet you have an attitude about what? You are 50-something years old, almost twice my elder, I have no issue with you. But if you continue to talk to me. I’m gonna have to come to you,” Howard warned.
”It’s not violent, but it’s like, hey, man, we got family and kids. … So if you are that real leader, then sit down and have a conversation.”
Howard has also accused Shaq of shutting down potential events he might be at trying to affect his money behind closed doors. That would be some real snake stuff on Shaq’s part, but it’s pretty obvious he has an issue with Howard.
