“Why does he hate on me?” Dwight Howard addresses longstanding beef with Shaquille O’Neal
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Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard
Shaquille O’Neal, a retired NBA great, and Dwight Howard, an eight-time All-Star, have a lot in common. O’Neal and Howard were both classic low-post big players picked first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and 2004. Both played for the Lakers at some point in their careers. So it would have been logical for O’Neal to act as a mentor to Howard. Throughout his 18-year career, though, O’Neal continually insulted and harassed Howard. The feud between the two began with the moniker “Superman.” During his debut season in Orlando, O’Neal gained the moniker “Superman.” The term referred to O’Neal’s superhuman power and dominance in the paint.
O’Neal also stated that he is a huge lover of the superhero “Superman,” and that he even has the Superman emblem tattooed on his bicep. Many years later, when Howard began calling himself Superman, O’Neal plainly disapproved. Howard earned the moniker after competing in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during the 2008 NBA All-Star weekend. Howard suited up as Superman for his last dunk of the event, which he won with a flying slam.
Dwight Howard opens up on his hilarious feud with Shaquille O’Neal
Dwight Howard emphasised in an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast that he had looked up to Shaq as a child, which baffled him even more as to why Shaquille O’Neal had ragged on him through the years. “I’m not sure what was wrong with him. I’ve never had a problem with Shaq. I never aspired to be Shaq. I adore seeing him do his thing. I believe he is the most dominant player in history. “No one is as dominating as Shaq,” Howard stated.
“I remember in the eleventh grade watching him play against Dikembe Mutombo in the Finals, catching it every time, elbow to the chest, turn around dunk on him, I was like, ‘Yo, this is crazy!’ So I’m like why is he hating on me? If anything, he should be happy that somebody is trying to follow in their footsteps.” Perhaps we’ll never know the precise reason behind the dispute. That is, unless Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal agree to get down and bury the hatchet, much as Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas did in a Players Only episode. Unfortunately, it takes two to tango, and it’s uncertain whether this drama will ever end
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