Shaquille O’Neal has reignited his long-standing beef with former Orlando Magic teammate Dwight Howard on social media, sending NBA fans into a frenzy.
Shaq, widely regarded as one of the greatest big men in NBA history, took to X to call out Howard, reminding him of the tension that has simmered between them for years.
The confrontation began after Howard appeared on a podcast, fueling the fire of their rivalry. The episode, which was released last week, featured Howard discussing his feelings about O’Neal and the often contentious comparison between their careers.
Shaq wasted no time responding, making it clear that he was not going to let Howard‘s words slide.
“Dwight Howard 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,” O’Neal wrote on X.
The origins of the beef
This isn’t the first time the two Orlando Magic legends have been at odds. The rivalry between O’Neal and Howard has been an ongoing saga that dates back years, with Shaq frequently expressing his frustration over Howard’s career trajectory.
The tension first emerged after Howard joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, and the animosity only deepened when Dwight Howard won his lone NBA championship in 2020 with the Lakers- a feat O’Neal feels is insignificant compared to his four NBA titles.
One of the primary sticking points for Shaq was Howard‘s comparison to him in terms of their roles in Orlando and later in Los Angeles.
In his podcast appearance, Howard reflected on the criticism he’s received from Shaq over the years, claiming that O’Neal misunderstood his intentions.
“I hated the most is the fact that he always thought I was trying to be him or be like him,” Howard said. “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?”
Despite his criticism of Shaq, Howard suggested that he would be open to putting the feud to rest.
“All right, Shaq, I just never disrespected… But he’s always had something to say and you know there are times where I got enough and I’m like, yo Shaq just gotta stop,” he noted.
However, the podcast also revealed some underlying hostility, with Howard at one point even alluding to a physical confrontation, stating that he was ready to “throw hands” with Shaq. This only added fuel to the already heated exchange, and fans knew that it wouldn’t be long before Shaq responded.