Shaquille O’Neal claims he decided to retire when he put ‘Dwight Howard’ numbers

Shaquille O'Neal hilariously hints at the 'Superman' beef while describing what led to his retiring from the league.

Shaquille O’Neal claims he decided to retire when he put ‘Dwight Howard’ numbers

The NBA legend and Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal, is known to have dominated in his era. Putting up surreal numbers each season, the Diesel is a four-time champion and three-time Finals MVP with the Los Angeles Lakers.

O’Neal was the top player in the league for 14 straight seasons. His presence in the paint was terrifying enough to give the defenders their toughest time guarding the beast.

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Though after a long reign of the Diesel, O’Neal was coming close to his retirement days. While still trying to give his all, there was this moment when Shaq decided to retire. His numbers were wearing off, and the Diesel was also 38. 

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However, O’Neal describes his decision to retire hilariously. Shaq and Dwight Howard have been beefing over the ‘Superman’ title for years. Interestingly enough, O’Neal hinted at the same beef while describing the reason for his retirement.

When I had to pump-fake the dunk... And then I look at the stats, I got 9 points. I'm like 'This ain't Shaq, this is Dwight Howard'.
Said O’Neal

Howard was later known as Superman for his slam-dunk performance in 2008 when he wore a Superman costume to the contest and won it all. 

This had Shaq furious, as he had the same title for long. To this day, O’Neal hints at the same beef whenever he gets the chance. But there were reasons behind his low performance following his run with the Miami Heat.

Shaquille O’Neal let go after his fourth championship

Following his fourth ring with Dwyane Wade and the Heat, Shaq was traded to the Phoenix Suns. In Phoenix, O’Neal teamed up with Steve Nash, the two-time MVP. Though with the Suns, Shaq played the first round of the playoffs at best. At that point, the Diesel was even bigger and was playing significantly fewer minutes.

He also joined forces with LeBron James in Cleveland a year before James moved to Miami himself. Shaq ended his career after playing a season for the Celtics in 2010–11. The 7-foot-1, 325-pound beast finally came to rest after a dominating career. With the beef aside, there were other reasons why O’Neal called it a career at 38.

Fans are aware of Shaq’s dominance during his time in the league, as the Diesel did finish his career as one of the greatest players to ever play. Today, Shaquille O’Neal is an extremely wealthy individual, having his name among the richest retired athletes in the world. 

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