NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal and eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard are involved in what may be the oddest sports feud. The feud has been brewing for years, since Howard's run with the Orlando Magic. Howard was drafted back in 2004 and emerged as a star in 2007.
By that time, he started to be compared to Shaq, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Magic. That seemed to rub him the wrong way, and ever since, Shaq has often been the aggressor in a beef between the two. Howard's career didn't quite live up to the hype, which has given Shaq ammunition to target Howard over the years.
Be that as it may, Howard, despite him not becoming the next Shaq, still had a strong career. He scored more than 19,000 points, grabbed 10,000 plus rebounds, blocked more than 2,000 shots, and won 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards as well as a championship in 2020. That makes him a borderline Hall of Famer. Still, Shaq has taken to belittling Howard even after it was clear that he wasn't going to surpass him and his legacy.
Dwight Howard fires back at Shaquille O'Neal in the latest interview.
Howard recently appeared on the Art of Dialogue podcast, where the topic of Shaq came up, and he didn't hold back. Howard went as far as to state that he thought he would have to fight Shaq if the two sides couldn't come to an understanding. Shaq, of course, fired back, essentially stating that he won't' go after Howard any longer because he's not worth it.
@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. Won’t ever say your name again ever again. Have a great day and now u have been deleted. Have a great day. #inevercared #trustme…
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 7, 2025
It's doubtful whether Shaq would actually drop his beef with Howard, though he should. After all, his actions don't portray him favorably, and his treatment of another former NBA player JaVale McGee has led to accusations of bullying.
Having a Hall of Famer-turned-NBA analyst continue to take personal shots at players doesn't seem like a great idea. However, he doesn't seem to see the problem with it, even though he should. While Howard wasn't the most popular player towards the end of his NBA career, with him often being cited for his immaturity, he hasn't done anything to warrant Shaq's continued attacks.
In fact, he has often tried to take the high road. Hopefully, Shaq will follow suit and drop it. Be that as it may, he may soon find another player to pick on, with him known to make questionable statements regarding the game's top big men. Let's hope Shaq doesn't.