Go beyond the scoreboard
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Shaquille O’Neal declared Monday night that he will never mention Dwight Howard‘s name again.
So does that mean the feud between the two former Lakers is over? That the beef that has spanned more than a decade and very well may have originated with something as seemingly insignificant as Howard’s usage of O’Neal’s Superman nickname has finally come to an end?
Sorry, but apparently not.
O’Neal was back to trashing Howard again Tuesday morning, a day after the conflict between the two big men was reignited yet again by comments Howard made during a podcast appearance. Shaq did, however, remain true to his word and actually avoided mentioning Howard’s name — instead referring to the eight-time All Star as a “hall of fame podcaster” (sarcastically), “son” (twice) and “podcast boy” (best insult ever).
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss appeared on Dwight Howard’s podcast and said the team could’ve won more NBA titles if Howard and others had stayed after the 2020 championship.
So, yeah, not a lot of movement in the let’s-get-on-with-our-lives department.
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How we got here
Both O’Neal and Howard are former No. 1 overall picks by the Orlando Magic (O’Neal in 1992, Howard in 2004) and NBA champions with the Lakers (O’Neal in the 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons; Howard in 2019-20), although they never overlapped on any team’s roster. O’Neal has been an analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” since 2011 and at times has used that platform, and others, to diss Howard.
Why? Many feel it’s because Howard took over O’Neal’s Superman moniker early in his career, donning a cape and sporting the superhero’s logo while competing in — and winning — the NBA’s slam dunk contest in 2008.
“There can only be 1 Superman !!! #ME,” O’Neal wrote in a 2016 Facebook post that included a doctored photo that showed O’Neal dunking on Howard.
Howard addressed that theory during his appearance on “The Gauds Show” podcast this week.
“I don’t even think it could be about the logo because he wasn’t the first Superman in the league,” said Howard, 39. “So what are you tripping about for real? I didn’t call myself Superman because of you.”
Two weeks after Lakers coach JJ Redick criticized the media for not celebrating the NBA enough, Charles Barkley went off on Redick during TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ show.
Howard said that his Magic teammates gave him that nickname after seeing him jump over another player’s head while dunking and perform other tremendous athletic feats.
“It wasn’t a knock on Shaq,” Howard said. “And that was the thing that I hated the most is the fact that he always thought I was trying to be him or be like him. But again, 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 a person?”
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‘Yo, Shaq, this gotta stop’
Howard said the barbs from O’Neal, 52, have gotten old.
“I never disrespected him, but he’s always had something to say,” Howard said. “And there are times where I’ve gotten upset and I’m like, ‘Yo, Shaq, this gotta stop.’”
Asked if he ever actually confronted O’Neal about this, Howard said he attempted to have a mutual acquaintance arrange a “sit-down conversation” last year. Nothing ever materialized, but Howard said something needs to happen along those lines.
“‘Cause every time I hear or see something about you, it’s you disrespecting me on some type of level,” Howard said of O’Neal. “And at this point I’m like, ‘Do we need to throw hands?’”
Shaquille O’Neal dropped a diss track about Shannon Sharpe as part of the beef between the two star athletes-turned-broadcasters that started with a Nikola Jokic interview.
Howard added: “You’re 50-something years old. You’re twice my elder, whatever you want to call it. I have no issue with you, but you continue to talk about me. I’m gonna have to come to you. And it’s not violent, but ... you keep doing it, so I’m gonna have to come talk to you man to man.’”
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‘Have a great day.’ Yeah, right
O’Neal took notice of Howard’s words and responded 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,” O’Neal wrote. “Won’t ever say your name again ever again. Have a great day and now u have been deleted. Have a great day.”
Howard shot back an angry reply: “I know you care. Cuz yo insecure ass been hating and talking s— for 20 years. You to big to be this insecure. I hope you don’t bring my name up again. 52 years old tweeting me. And still hating. Now all this time you was joking. ... It’s 2025 grow the hell up. and move on.”
On Tuesday morning, however, Howard seemed to have cooled off and offered an olive branch of sorts in a new X post.
“Btw I don’t want people get entertained by two black man going back and forth over petty stuff,” Howard wrote. “I don’t want to bicker I just want to settle this like the two successful HOF black men we are! You the most dominant center of all time ! Come on to the podcast and let’s hash this out.”
It is unclear whether Howard wants O’Neal to join him as guests on “The Gauds Show” — something host Ray Daniels was pushing for during this week’s episode — or on his own podcast, “Above The Rim with DH 12.”
The Lakers knew Shaquille O’Neal was a star of a different magnitude, and they treated him as such. The Dodgers must do the same with Shohei Ohtani.
Either way, O’Neal wasn’t having it.
“Nice move I see what you doing, your legacy is your new podcast that’s how u will be remembered and u need views,” O’Neal wrote. “Dam I taught you well, great job hall of fame podcaster. But still don’t care. You need the sit down, u need my validation, I don’t need yours, how will you be remembered, think about that podcast boy. I have a empire to run Now leave me son I been talking twenty years but u wanna squabble at 50 Well I decline I’m to old Again nice move Love u son.”
