Dwight Howard baffled by beef with 52-year-old Shaquille O’Neal: “Angry for no reason”

On the latest episode of 7 PM in Brooklyn, Dwight Howard had an open conversation about his decade-long feud with NBA legend Shaq.

Dwight Howard baffled by beef with 52-year-old Shaquille O’Neal: “Angry for no reason”

Dwight Howard opens up abut his beef with Shaquille O'Neal

The ongoing petty feud over the Superman title—and lord knows what else—between the NBA’s dominant centers, Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard, has been entertaining sports fans for far too long. Now entering its second decade, Howard recently revealed that he has no idea why the dispute between the two big men even exists.

D-Howard made a guest appearance on the latest episode of Carmelo Anthony‘s podcast, 7 PM in Brooklyn, covering an array of topics even remotely related to the game of basketball. When the subject of his beef with the legend, Big Aristotle, came up, Howard animatedly expressed his perplexity over the situation.

YouTube video

This man [is] 50 years old… just angry for no reason… I have no idea where it came from. I have seen stuff ever since I was in Orlando about me trying to take ‘Superman’ and things like that, but the Superman for me came from all the things I was doing in the community. It came from me jumping over teammates, me doing stuff in the weight room… it wasn’t because I went around boasting about me being Superman.

Dwight Howard explained

After hearing Howard’s side of the story, Melo pushed them to bury the hatchet. This came following an exchange between Shaq and Howard over Twitter in January. Meanwhile, co-host The Kid Mero hilariously suggested that maybe it’s time for the two to glove up for a celebrity boxing exhibition and sell broadcasting rights to Netflix.

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Even the most seasoned sports commentators have a hazy recollection of what sparked the feud. However, the roots of their rivalry can be traced back to 2008 when Howard donned a Superman cape in a Slam Dunk Contest which O’Neal interpreted as him stepping on his toes.

Shaquille O’Neal describes Howard as “a jokester who can’t take a joke.”

Earlier this month, Howard said to host Ray Daniels that, at this point, he is not sure if he “needs to throw hands” or what to do to resolve his dispute with Shaq Fu. The clip certainly made its rounds on the internet and eventually reached Osama Bin Shaq himself, who didn’t take it lightly.

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.

Shaquille O’Neal tweeted

This evoked a glib response from the 6’10” Dancing with the Stars contestant who called out the Big Diesel over still being bitter about the late great Kobe Bryant, Penny Hardway, Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley. Howard also wrote that Shaq is “too big to be this insecure.”

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While Dwight Howard‘s intention is clear — that he wants no part in this beef with Shaq — it seems like there’s no resolution in sight. And, unfortunately, social media is only adding more fuel to the inferno. Today, athletes’ on-court trash talk spilling over off the court is becoming the new norm.